FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Human Rights

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1496W, on Afghanistan: females, what reports he has received on the  (a) composition,  (b) mandate and  (c) method of operation of the drafting committee established by the Afghan Ministry of Justice to re-examine certain provisions of the Shi'a Family Law; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on progress in the review of Shi'a Family Law in Afghanistan ordered by President Karzai; what discussions he has had with the government of Afghanistan on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We, along with other international partners, made our concerns about the Shia Personal Status Law clear to the Afghan Government at a senior level. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the issue with President Karzai. We welcomed President Karzais announcement on 27 April 2009 that the law would be changed to bring it in line with the Afghan Constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women, and the international treaties to which Afghanistan is a party.
	On 20 June 2009, the Minister of Justice met with female representatives of the Afghan Parliament and civil society and told them that his Ministry has now amended the Law. The amendments were made following written recommendations by Afghan civil society (the Afghan Womens Network), Katib university and moderate Ulema (religious scholars).
	We understand the amendments made by the Afghan Ministry of Justice have added around 60 articles and removed around 10 from the Law. Language was also added to clarify the meaning of certain articles. The amended draft was viewed by the above female representatives as broadly pro women, and contentious articles, including the provision appearing to legalise rape, had been removed. The Law is also being reviewed by the Supreme Court.
	President Karzai has indicated that the Law will next be sent back to the Afghan Parliament for approval (in time for the new session of Parliament, beginning 20 July 2009).
	The Law continues to cause controversy on both sidessome religiously conservative Ulema are still lobbying the President to pass the original draft, parts of which the international community and many Afghans deemed unacceptable. The outcome is still uncertain, therefore we, along with our international partners and Afghan civil society, will continue to follow the passage of the Law closely. We will lobby the Afghan Government whenever appropriate, to help ensure the final Law respects womens rights and does not undo progress made since 2001.

Africa: Piracy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on piracy in the waters around the Horn of Africa.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Councils in Brussels on 15 June 2009 where he and his EU counterparts discussed Operation Atalanta and piracy off the coast of Somalia as part of the agenda.
	The Foreign Secretary also attended a meeting of the G8 Foreign Ministers in Trieste on 26 June 2009. They discussed piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the eastern coast of Somalia along with other pressing issues.
	The UK continues to take a leading role in activities to counter piracy. As part of the international contact group on piracy off the coast of Somalia we chair a working group on regional capability and international co-ordination. This will next meet in London at the International Maritime Organisation Headquarters on 10 July 2009.

British Council: Meetings

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times he has met representatives of the British Council in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets British Council representatives in the UK and when travelling overseas. In the last 12 months, he has met British Council representatives on 10 occasions in the UK and on 11 occasions when travelling overseas, which included meetings in Kosovo, India, Iraq, Greece, Turkey and Pakistan.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Thai Government on the repatriation of Karen civilians to Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Our ambassador in Bangkok most recently raised the issue of refugees on the Thailand-Burma border with the Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 July 2009. Our embassy staff have also been in contact with the Thai Ministry of the Interior, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on the border, about the welfare and living conditions of those recently arrived from eastern Burma, and the humanitarian assistance they are receiving. This assistance, provided by the Royal Thai Government, UNHCR and NGOs, includes food, plastic sheeting for shelter, blankets, bed-nets and medical care.

Burma: International Assistance

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with aid agencies on securing Burmese visas for their workers; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Department for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with aid agencies working in Burma, during which issues relating to Burmese visas are discussed. We will continue to monitor the situation. The Burmese regime are aware of our concerns that unfettered access should be allowed to continue for humanitarian agencies operating in Burma.

Colombia: Foreign Relations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 70W, on Colombia: foreign relations, if he will have discussions with his Colombian counterpart on bilateral relations and broader global issues.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no such meetings scheduled. However, as stated in the previous answer referred to, our ambassador in Bogota maintains regular contact with senior Colombian Government officials, including the Foreign Minister, to discuss bilateral relations and broader global issues.

Colombia: Foreign Relations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 70W, on Colombia: foreign relations, whether the British Ambassador in Bogota has met senior Colombian Government officials to discuss the matter of political prisoners being held in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: As stated in the previous answer referred to, our ambassador in Bogota maintains regular contact with senior Colombian Government officials, including the Foreign Minister, to discuss bilateral relations and broader global issues. In such meetings, the ambassador regularly raises human rights issues, most recently with the Vice President on 5 July 2009, where he discussed, among other issues, allegations that judicial proceedings are used against individuals for political purposes.

Departmental Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which databases managed by his Department and its agencies hold personal information on members of the public; on what date each such database become operational; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), together with its agencies and posts overseas, manages a large number of databases of varying size and complexity. Some hold information on members of the public gathered in support of a wide range of activities including consular services. To collect and collate information on when each of these databases became operational could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	All personal information held on FCO databases is strictly protected in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Departmental Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget for his Department's  (a) policy planning staff and  (b) research analysts was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Chris Bryant: In financial year 2008-09, the budgets were as follows:
	
		
			   Budget (£000) 
			 Policy Planning staff 1,903 
			 Research Analysts 4,086

Departmental Responsibilities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the roles and responsibilities are of each Minister in his Department.

Chris Bryant: The roles and responsibilities of each Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are as follows:
	 Right hon. David Miliband MP: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
	Overall responsibility for the work of the Office
	Strategy and Policy Planning
	Communications
	Honours
	Whitehall Liaison Department
	 Right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown: Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, attending Cabinet
	Afghanistan and South Asia
	Africa
	United Nations
	Human Rights
	Global Issues
	Commonwealth
	Ministerial Oversight for FCO Services
	Ivan Lewis business, plus Public Diplomacy (including British Council and BBC World Service) in the Lords
	 Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Minister of State (Europe)
	European Union
	Europe, including Balkans, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova
	Russia, South Caucasus, Central Asia
	Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Council of Europe
	FCO finance
	Chris Bryants business in the Lords (except Public Diplomacy)
	 Ivan Lewis MP: Minister of State
	Middle East
	Counter Terrorism
	Counter Proliferation
	South East Asia and Far East
	North America
	Middle East and North Africa
	Drugs and International Crime
	Migration
	North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
	Leads on Lord Malloch-Browns business in the Commons
	 Chris Bryant MP: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
	Overseas Territories
	South America
	Caribbean and Central America
	Australasia and Pacific
	Consular policy
	Olympics
	Shanghai Expo 2010
	Protocol
	HR and Diversity
	Public Diplomacy, including British Council and BBC World Service
	Leads on Baroness Kinnocks business in the Commons, including Europe
	 Lord Mervyn Davies of Abersoch CBE: Minister for Trade and Investment
	UK Trade and Investment (joint Minister with Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
	 Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
	Liaison with MOD on security and defence policy issues (joint with Ministry of Defence)
	This information is publicly available on the FCO website:
	ixhttp://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/how-we-are-organised/ministers/

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not seconded any members of staff to offices of Members of any political party. We have no record of staff who have taken a career break or unpaid leave to work in such offices.

East Timor: Politics and Government

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to assist restorative justice and truth and reconciliation initiatives in East Timor; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Since 1999, we have actively supported the development of East Timor and played a part in ensuring that appropriate assistance was provided by the UN. The UN Mission in East Timor continues to provide peacekeeping support and capacity building to the East Timorese Government and Administration. The UK helps to fund this through our assessed contributions to the UN, and we will continue to offer strong support for multilateral efforts in East Timor. Additionally, the EU is assisting East Timor in promoting its justice sector and reinforcing the rule of law. The UK contributes both technical and financial assistance to the EU programmes in East Timor, currently worth around 18 million euros.
	We believe it is for the Governments of Indonesia and East Timor to consider how best to deal with their past history, reflecting the concerns of their citizens. We have raised the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) and the Commission on Truth and Friendship (CTF) with East Timor and expressed the UK's view that it was important for the East Timorese parliament to debate the reports of the CTF and the CAVR as part of the process of establishing accountability. We hope that the adoption of the CTF report by President Yudhoyono of Indonesia and President Ramos Horta of East Timor will be a step forward in cementing the relationship between the two Governments and enabling them to move forward in peaceful co-operation.

Egypt: British Nationality

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British  (a) nationals and  (b) residents have been detained by the Egyptian authorities on suspicion or charge of terrorist activities since 2000.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 3 July 2009
	From consular records we are aware of one case since 2000 of a British national who has been detained by the Egyptian authorities in which suspicion of terrorist activities has been given as the reason. We are aware of no cases in this period of British nationals having been charged in Egypt with terrorist activities.
	We are also aware of a case of a British national who was detained on suspicion of involvement in extremist-related activity. There were three cases of British nationals who were detained and found guilty of their involvement with an organisation which is illegal in Egypt. A fourth British national was briefly held and released on the same grounds. Additionally, there were a small number of British nationals during this period who were detained on arrival at Cairo airport and returned to the UK, with no formal reason given.
	Consular officials find out about the detention of British nationals overseas in various ways. The local authorities should inform us when they detain a British national. However, this does not always happen, particularly in the case of dual nationals in their country of other nationality. In many cases, consular officials will find out about a detention from the family, friends or the media. For these reasons, our records of detentions may not be definitive.
	We do not provide consular assistance to non-national UK residents, and would not expect to be notified by the Egyptian authorities of their arrest. We cannot therefore give a figure for the number of British residents arrested on suspicion or charge of terrorist activities during this period.

Gilad Shalit

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the International Red Cross on  (a) the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit by Hamas and  (b) the refusal of Hamas to allow Gilad Shalit Red Cross (ICRC) visits; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Both British Ministers and our ambassador in Israel have been in contact with Gilad Shalit's family throughout his captivity and emphasized our support for Gilad's immediate release.
	On 25 June 2009, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary repeated the UK's call to Hamas for Gilad Shalit's immediate, unconditional, and safe release.
	Last September, our ambassador helped to deliver over 2,000 Jewish new year cards for Gilad to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a campaign organised by the UK Jewish community. We share the Shalit family's dismay at Hamas's refusal to allow the ICRC access to Gilad. We will continue to pursue this issue both privately and publicly.

Gilad Shalit

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Arab governments on  (a) the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit by Hamas and  (b) the refusal of Hamas to allow him Red Cross visits; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK will continue to call for the immediate release of Gilad Shalit by Hamas. The Arab League has mandated Egypt to communicate with Hamas. We are in regular contact with both the Arab League and Egypt.
	Both Ministers and our ambassador in Tel Aviv have had contact with Gilad Shalit's family throughout his captivity and emphasized our support. On 25 June 2009, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary repeated the UK's call for Gilad Shalit's immediate, unconditional, and safe release. We share the Shalit family's dismay at Hamas's refusal to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Gilad.

Gilad Shalit

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations in relation to the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised his concerns at the UN Security Council meeting on 11 May 2009.
	Both Ministers and our ambassador in Israel have had contact with Gilad's family throughout his captivity and emphasized our support. On 25 June, the Foreign Secretary repeated the UK's call for Gilad Shalit's immediate, unconditional, and safe release. We share the Shalit family's dismay at Hamas's refusal to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Gilad.

Hamas

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that aid provided by his Department is not misappropriated by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are monitoring the situation closely. It is imperative that aid reach the people in Gaza who need it. We are in contact with all our partners, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to make sure that Government funding is being used appropriately and that the relief items are getting to those who need them.
	There are well developed international mechanisms for the delivery of aid in Gaza, principally UNRWA and the World Food Programme. We urge aid agencies to ensure that they maintain the greatest possible distance from Hamas.

India: Ethnic Groups

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Indian Government on the rights and interests of the Dongria Kondh tribe of Orissa; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not discussed the rights and interests of the Dongria Kondh tribe with the Indian Government. We have discussed the general rights and entitlements of tribal groups with Government of Orissa officials, under the Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme funded by the Department for International Development.

Iran: Foreign Relations

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment of the state of UK relations with Iran is; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have made clear that the UK is committed to a positive and constructive bilateral relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and one that is based on mutual respect. But for that relationship to work, Irans leaders must take seriously the international communitys concerns about recent events, and about Irans nuclear programme.
	We have made very clear our concern at the Iranian authorities response to post-election demonstrations, and at the expulsion of international journalists from Iran. The arrest of several locally-employed Iranian members of our embassy staff was extremely concerning. Our efforts are fully focused on securing the release of the one still-detained staff member.

Kenya: Politics and Government

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the Kenyan Governments political reform programme; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK has provided support to the Kenyan Governments political reform programme through its contribution to the Annan process and the National Accord. We have provided £1.4 million (£200,000 in 2007-08 and £1.2 million in 2008-09). Additional support has been provided to civil society organisations to assist communities to reconcile and engage in the peace process. In the past two financial years, civil society support amounted to £1.2 million.
	All support has jointly been managed by the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, through the Africa Conflict Prevention Programme (ACPP).
	We continue to urge Kenyas leaders to work together to ensure that the key reforms needed in Kenya are made. We will continue to offer our full support to Kofi Annan and his leadership role in the reform process.

North Korea

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken in relation to the human rights situation in North Korea in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government take the human rights situation in North Korea extremely seriously. We are deeply concerned by continuing reports of serious, widespread and systematic human rights abuses there. We raise this issue with the North Korean Government at every appropriate opportunity. Our ambassador in Pyongyang raised our concerns most recently in February 2009 during the visit to North Korea by Lord Alton and Baroness Cox with the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Speaker of the North Korean Parliament. He emphasised the importance of dialogue on human rights and urged North Korea to accept a visit by the UN Special Rapporteur. However the North Korean Government refuse to engage.
	With EU Partners we sponsored annual resolutions on North Korea human rights at the UN General Assembly (in December 2008), and at the UN Human Rights Council (in March 2009). The latter includes the mandate for the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korea Human Rights, whose work in evidence gathering we strongly support.
	We have worked closely with a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) over the past year. We sponsored an NGO report on children's rights in North Korea ahead of the February 2009 periodic report by the UN Committee on the Rights of Child on North Korea. We also supported the participation of a leading UK NGO at an international conference on North Korean Human Rights in Canberra in March. We are now working with NGOs and international partners to prepare for the Universal Periodic Review of North Korea's human rights record which is scheduled to take place at the UN Human Rights Council session in December 2009. Locally, our embassy in Pyongyang has given support to the project work of Handicap International in the DPRK which is designed to help improve the rights of the disabled there, and is looking at ways to increase that activity.

Palestinians

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of Palestinian citizens previously living in Gaza who have taken refuge inside Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received reports on the number of Palestinian citizens previously living in Gaza who have taken refuge inside Israel.

Palestinians

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The demolition of houses in East Jerusalem is, with very few exceptions, illegal under international law. It also threatens the viability of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement in the Middle East.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear the UKs concerns about the demolition of Palestinian buildings in East Jerusalem during his statement to the UN Security Council on 11 May 2009 and it was also raised during the EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 15 June 2009.
	The Foreign Secretary also continues to call on Israel to freeze settlement construction, including in East Jerusalem. We will continue to raise these issues as a high priority with Israel both privately and publicly; the Foreign Secretary last did so in his conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister on 1 July 2009.

Palestinians: Borders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of tunnels between Egypt and Gaza; what steps he is taking to assist the Government of Egypt to prevent the flow of weapons through the Rafah border crossing into Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: With the number of tunnels discovered changing on a regular basis we are unable to provide a definitive figure.
	The UK continues to work closely with the EU, US and regional partners to establish how best our expertise can be used to help to prevent the flow of weapons into Gaza, including through tunnels. We have attended meetings in Copenhagen and Ottawa and hosted one in London.

Palestinians: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the establishment of clinics by the Government of Israel at the Erez crossing on the Gaza border; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are aware of the Erez clinic which opened on 18 January 2009 and closed on 28 January 2009. We understand that it treated five Palestinians injured in the conflict.

Palestinians: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the alleged refusal of Hamas to allow Palestinian citizens in Gaza to use clinics set up by Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received any such report.

Palestinians: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of Gaza residents who have entered Israel for medical and humanitarian reasons via the Erez crossing; what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received reports on the number of people entering Israel for medical and humanitarian reasons via the Erez crossing. However, Israel needs to reduce restrictions on the movement of people in and out of Gaza.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary expressed his concerns regarding the restrictions at the Gaza crossings to the Israeli Foreign Minister on 1 July 2009. He pressed Israel to allow in humanitarian aid, reconstruction materials, and trade goods, as well as the legitimate flow of people.

Spirit of Humanity

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the interception of the vessel Spirit of Humanity and the detention of the UK citizens on board.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken in response to the Israeli navy boarding the Gaza ship Spirit of Humanity; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the interception by the Israeli navy of the ship Spirit of Humanity; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I can confirm the Israeli navy boarded the vessel Spirit of Humanity on 30 June 2009. The Israeli navy took control of the vessel and diverted it to Ashdod port in Israel, where all those on board, including six British nationals, were handed over to Israeli immigration officials. British consular officials have had good access to the British detainees and confirm that they are in good health and being treated well.
	When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman on 1 July 2009, he raised the issue with him and asked for clarification of whether the Spirit of Humanity was intercepted in international waters. We will continue to press the Israeli Government for clarification.

Trident

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Departments evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committees inquiry into Global Security: Non-Proliferation, HC 222, Ev 118, what assessment he has made of the merits of suspending the Trident replacement programme in the context of negotiations to reduce warhead numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated on 17 March 2009, as soon as it becomes useful for our nuclear arsenal to be included in broader multilateral negotiations, Britain stands ready to participate and to act. A decision now not to renew our Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) submarine fleet would pre-empt any such negotiation, by committing a future Government to unilateral disarmament at the end of the current fleets lifespan, regardless of the strategic circumstances at that time.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the accuracy of mapping of land for the purposes of 2010 single farm payments.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is in the process of updating land information used to support the single payment scheme (SPS) and other direct support schemes. A programme of work is under way to deliver a more effective and up-to-date geographic information system, as required under EU Regulation.
	The programme of work includes a mapping update project which will gain agreement from farmers to updated maps of their land parcels and ensure the mapping information held by RPA to support the SPS and direct support schemes reflects the most up to date actual land and features on the ground. For the first time permanent features ineligible for support under the SPS are included. There are more than 2 million land parcels in England.
	Completion of the work this year will enable the updated maps to be used for next year. The programme will also provide the potential for future new services, such as the ability to view maps online.

Animal Welfare

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received in respect of his Departments consultation on proposals to remove strict liability from animal owners under the Animals Act 1971; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA has received 33 responses from a wide range of respondents, including private individuals, large national organisations, small local or regional groups, independent equine businesses, insurance companies and legal firms. We are now considering these detailed responses and will publish a summary of responses shortly.

Animal Welfare

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new slaughter welfare rules he proposes to introduce; and what estimate he has made of the cost of administering such rules in  (a) Lancashire,  (b) the North West and  (c) England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: On 22 June the EU Council of Ministers reached political agreement on the final text of a Council regulation on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter. The regulation is expected to apply from 1 January 2013. It will replace the current directive 93/119 which the European Commission considers out of date. The regulation updates the existing regulatory framework to take account of technological improvements and opinions by the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organisation.
	The regulation permits the use of national rules to maintain existing levels of welfare protection where these exceed those in the regulation. We would wish to maintain existing welfare standards and will be considering how national rules can be used to achieve this objective. Any changes to domestic legislation will be subject to a formal public consultation.
	An initial estimate of the costs associated with the initial Commission proposal was published on the DEFRA website on 27 January 2009. Revised estimates are currently being prepared to reflect the changes made in the final text. These will be made available later in the year when the final text of the regulation is published. However, we have no plans to publish local or regional cost estimates.

Animals: Quarantine

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals of each species were kept in quarantine facilities operated by his Department in 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following species arrived in the UK in 2008 and went into quarantine. This does not include animals which entered into quarantine at the end of 2007 and were released in 2008.
	
		
			  Species  Number in quarantine 
			 Armadillos 2 
			 Baboons 2 
			 Bats 12 
			 Beavers 38 
			 Binturongs 1 
			 Cats 1,169 
			 Cheetahs 14 
			 Chinchillas 2 
			 Dogs 2,110 
			 Foxes 4 
			 Ferrets 2 
			 Fossas 2 
			 Fruit bats 10 
			 Guinea pigs 5 
			 Lemurs 4 
			 Leopards 5 
			 Lions 3 
			 Lynxes 1 
			 Mice 6 
			 Ocelots 1 
			 Otters 4 
			 Primates 2,209 
			 Pumas 4 
			 Rabbits 16 
			 Red pandas 1 
			 Sea lions 3 
			 Tenrecs 15 
			 Tigers 5 
			 Wallabies 2 
			 Weasels 8 
			 Wolves 1 
			 Total 5,661 
			  Note: The figures in the table are taken from Animal Healths bespoke quarantine system.

Animals: Quarantine

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals in quarantine were vaccinated against rabies while in quarantine in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of animals which went into quarantine in the following years (from 1 January until 31 December for each year) and were vaccinated against rabies are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of animals in quarantine and vaccinated against rabies 
			 2005 1,836 
			 2006 1,938 
			 2007 1,642 
			 2008 1,929 
			 2009 (1)623 
			 (1) Figures from 1 January 2009 until 1 June 2009.  Note: The figures in the table are taken from Animal Healths bespoke quarantine system. 
		
	
	Only domestic (i.e. pet) cats and dogs are required to be vaccinated against rabies in quarantine unless they have been prepared for the Pet Travel Scheme for early release, in which case they can waive the requirement for rabies vaccination. Other mammals, zoo or research animals do not have to be vaccinated against rabies in quarantine.
	These figures do not include animals which, for example, entered the UK (and entered quarantine) at the end of 2004 and were vaccinated, but released from quarantine in 2005.

Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle aged  (a) over 15 months,  (b) 12 to 15 months,  (c) nine to 12 months,  (d) six to nine months and  (e) 42 days to six months have tested (i) positive and (ii) inconclusive for bovine tuberculosis under pre-movement testing regulations in each year since its introduction.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA does not compile statistics for pre-movement testing in the format which the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire requests. However, we can provide the number of bovine tuberculosis (TB) positive and inconclusive reactor (IR) cattle identified in England each year since TB pre-movement testing became mandatory in 2006 (table 1); and a breakdown of the reactor and IR animals over 15 months and under 15 months (table 2).
	
		
			   Reactors  IRs 
			 2009 (1 January to 31 March) 67 92 
			 2008 (1 January to 31 December) 391 645 
			 2007 (1 January to 31 December) 373 486 
			 2006 (27 March to 31 December) 278 451 
			  Source:  Animal Health database (30 April 2009) 
		
	
	
		
			   1 March 2007 to 29 February 2008  1 March 2008 to 28 February 2009 
			 Reactors over 15 months 247 298 
			 Reactors under 15 months (455 days) 125 89 
			 IRs over 15 months 441 576 
			 IRs under 15 months (455 days) 51 61 
			  Source: Animal Health database (30 April 2008 and 30 April 2009) 
		
	
	The published figures are an underestimate of the impact of the policy and show the minimum benefits. The number of reactors identified does not take into account the benefits of herd owners utilising Government paid surveillance tests as pre-movement tests or the number of IRs identified by pre-movement testing which have ended up as reactors when retested.

Veterinary Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on its review of the training and employment of veterinary nurses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the awarding body for veterinary nurse qualifications. Students achieve NVQ levels 2 and 3 before being awarded their RCVS certificate. The RCVS is currently conducting a survey of veterinary nurses, training practices, training course providers and other interested parties as part of a forthcoming review of its awards.
	DEFRA has held no discussions with the RCVS on this issue.

Wildlife: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial support is available for his Departments surveillance strategy to guard against the spread of wildlife diseases in 2009-10.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A total of £1.5 million is allocated to financing activities to guard against the spread of wildlife diseases in 2009-10. This figure includes funding to support a range of activities including surveillance for diseases in wildlife, for example avian influenza in wild birds, contingency planning and disease control for rabies and collection of wild bird population data.

TRANSPORT

A1

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the merits of introducing  (a) separated junctions at Sandy, Beeston and Biggleswade and  (b) new bypasses for Sandy and Biggleswade on the A1 between the Black Cat roundabout and the A1(M) at Radwell north of Baldock.

Chris Mole: The A1 trunk road through Bedfordshire is identified as a road of regional importance. As such the priority to be given for separated junctions at Sandy, Beeston and Biggleswade and new bypasses for Sandy and Biggleswade is initially for the East of England to consider.
	In March 2009 the region submitted advice to Government on public spending priorities for transport, housing and regeneration, economic development and skills as part of the refresh of the Regional Funding Advice (known as RFA2). This includes transport priorities in the region through to 2018-19. The Government expect to respond to the regions advice later this year. However, the region did not include these junctions and bypasses in its submitted priorities.

Airports: Regulation

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations he has received on his proposal to introduce a special administration regime for regulated airports.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has received 34 representations in response to its proposal to introduce a special administration regime for regulated airports.

Aviation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the merits of retaining policy-making in respect of non-commercial flight crew licensing in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport consulted on the proposal to extend the European Aviation Safety Agencys remit to air operations and flight crew licensing, including for non-commercial aviation, in 2006.
	The subsequent EC Regulation 216/2008, which came into effect in April 2008, established Community competence for policy-making with regards to flight crew licences. However, in common with all EU member states, the UK has retained competence for policy-making with respect to licences for pilots of aircraft not covered by Regulation 216/2008. These are known as Annex 2 aircraft and include: microlights, ex-military aircraft and home-built aircraft.

Bus Services: Concessions

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pensioners in Hemel Hempstead received concessionary bus passes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	Hemel Hempstead is part of the Hertfordshire County concessionary travel scheme. The last information held by the Department was that as of 17 April 2009, the Hertfordshire County scheme had issued 141,099 of the new smartcard concessionary passes. This includes passes issued to disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over.

Campaign for Better Transport: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department and its agencies have provided to the Campaign for Better Transport in the last five years; and for what projects such funding was allocated.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has provided the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) with the following funding in the last five years:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2004-05 126 
			 2005-06 71 
			 2006-07 193 
			 2007-08 246 
			 2008-09 250 
		
	
	None of the Department's agencies have funded CBT. The funding was provided for the following projects:
	National Business Travel Network, (2007-09)
	Ground Floor Partners (2004-08)
	Car Free Leisure Network (2004-06)
	Life Transitions, (2004-05)
	Residential Travel Plans Project, (2004-05)
	Making School Travel Plans Work, (2004-05)

Cycling: Finance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department has allocated to encourage bicycle usage in  (a) Cambridgeshire,  (b) Peterborough,  (c) Huntingdonshire and  (d) the East of England in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has awarded cycle training grants as set out in table 1 to the following local authorities in the East of England since we first started awarding grants for National Standard Cycle Training, promoted as Bikeability training in 2006-07. Table 2 provides details of grants made direct to School Sports Partnerships in the East of England.
	The Department has made £4 million available to the School Sports Partnerships in 2009-10 in addition to the £5.4 million awarded to over 90 local authorities. School Sports Partnerships will not bid for grant until later in the year but we expect to meet all claims for cycle training grant in full in 2009-10.
	
		
			  Table 1: Local authority 
			  Grant (£) 
			  East of England  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Bedfordshire County Council  6,720.00 32,000.00  
			 Bedford Borough Council    28,000.00 
			 Central Bedfordshire Borough Council    35,240.00 
			 Cambridge    22,480.00 
			 Colchester    27,360.00 
			 Essex County Council   10,000.00 26,000.00 
			 Hertfordshire County Council 28,000.00 59,500.00 65,000.00 70,000.00 
			 Leighton Linslade    63,000.00 
			 Luton Borough Council 6,400.00 1,200.00 10,000.00 20,000.00 
			 Southend on Sea Council   20,160.00 31,104.00 
			 Suffolk County Council    12,000.00 
			 Thurrock Council   24,000.00 32,000.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: School Sports Partnerships 
			  Grant (£) 
			  East of England  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Colne (Essex) 8,000.00  12,800.00 
			 Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk)  9,600.00  
			 Sudbury (Suffolk)  4,000.00 4,000.00 
			 Biddenham (Bedford)  12,000.00  
			 Sharnbrook Upper (Bedford)  12,080.00  
			 Redbourne (Bedford)   40,000.00 
			 Castlepoint and Rochford (Essex)   3,000.00 
			 Davenant (Essex)   25,000.00 
			 Chelmsford (Essex)   25,000.00 
			 Thurstable (Essex)   36,000.00 
			 North Norfolk (Norfolk)   13,800.00 
			 Cliff Park (Norfolk)   24,000.00 
		
	
	In addition, Cambridge was included in the new Cycling Cities and Towns programme by Cycling England and was awarded £500,000 in 2008-09. Three other towns in the Eastern region also received funding last year from this programme: Colchester £400,000, Leighton-Linslade £567,138 and Southend-on-Sea £399,760.

Departmental Marketing

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cheadle of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 399W, on railways: marketing, for what reason his Department has incurred no advertising expenditure, other than for statutory advertising, since the amalgamation into his Department of the Strategic Rail Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport uses a wide range of media and events to inform the public about rail policies and programmes. Advertising travel by rail is a matter for the rail industry, which spends substantial sums on advertising.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Don Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance his Department has issued to travel companies on their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport commissioned the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) (before it was absorbed into the Equality and Human Rights Commission) to produce a series of good practice guides for transport providers. The guides were published in 2007; each guide deals with a different transport sector and offers practical advice on good practice in serving disabled customers.
	They can now be found on the DRC website archive at:
	 A Practical Guide for Rail services:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_transport/rail_services.html
	 A Practical Guide for Taxi and Private Hire Services:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_transport/taxis_and_private_hire.html
	 A Practical Guide for Breakdown Recovery Operators:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_transport/breakdown_recovery_operators.html
	 A Practical Guide for Buses and Scheduled Coaches:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_transport/buses_and_scheduled_coaches.html
	 A Practical Guide for Tour Coach Operators:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_ransport/tour_coach_operators.html
	 A Practical Guide for Vehicle Rental Firms:
	http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/library/publications/services_and_transport/vehicle_rental_firms.html

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices, excluding DVLA Swansea, are owned by the Crown.

Paul Clark: All of the 38 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) local offices outside Swansea are occupied on a leasehold arrangement. While 27 are held under a commercial lease with private landlords, 11 are held with other Government Departments where the ownership of the premises is unknown by DVLA.

Driving: Licensing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the pass rate for passenger carrying vehicle licences was for  (a) delegated examiners and  (b) Driving Standards Agency driving examiners in each financial year since 2000-01.

Paul Clark: The pass rate for candidates taking practical driving tests for passenger carrying vehicles candidates tested by:
	 (a) driving examiners working for organisations other than the Driving Standards Agency in each financial year since 2000-01 was:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Bus company  Fire brigade  Police force  Total PCV tests 
			 2000-01 61.3 92.6 81.4 61.5 
			 2001-02 61.3 100.0 81.0 61.4 
			 2002-03 60.8 96.0 78.7 60.9 
			 2003-04 60.0 84.1 84.4 60.2 
			 2004-05 59.8 85.2 79.5 60.1 
			 2005-06 58.6 88.2 85.3 59.2 
			 2006-07 58.6 83.3 84.3 59.6 
			 2007-08 58.8 83.7 88.9 60.3 
			 2008-09 62.8 90.1 88.9 64.4 
		
	
	 (b) examiners working for the Driving Standards Agency in each financial year since 2000-01 was:
	
		
			   Pass r ate (percentage) 
			 2000-01 48 
			 2001-02 45 
			 2002-03 44 
			 2003-04 46 
			 2004-05 44 
			 2005-06 45 
			 2006-07 46 
			 2007-08 50 
			 2008-09 52

Driving: Working Hours

Alistair Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, column 290W, on driving: working hours, which categories of privately-owned horsebox are exempt from EU regulations on drivers hours; and whether drivers of horseboxes are considered commercial or non-commercial drivers.

Paul Clark: Privately owned horseboxes are exempt from the directly applicable EU drivers hours rules if they do not exceed 7.5 tonnes and are being used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.
	Generally speaking, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) would normally consider that a vehicle not exceeding 7.5 tonnes is being used on a non-commercial basis where it is clear that the carriage of goods (in this case horses) is not with a view to making a profit. But ultimately, of course, it remains for the courts to interpret the law.

Heathrow Airport

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the  (a) surface area of and  (b) number of people resident within the boundaries of the (i) 43-decibel and (ii) 57-decibel contour at Heathrow in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people resident within the boundary of the 43 decibel contour around Heathrow airport following the entry into operation of the third runway.

Paul Clark: As explained in the written answer on 25 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 856-7W, daytime noise from aircraft is not normally assessed below 57 dBA or, for sensitivity analysis, below 54 dBA. Figures for 43 dBA are not therefore available.
	Noise contour reports covering Heathrow from 1997 onwards are available on the Department for Transports website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/nec/

High Speed One

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the sale of High Speed One to be completed.

Chris Mole: The Government expect to substantially complete the financial and operational restructuring of High Speed 1 this summer. Thereafter, the Governments intention is to secure best value in High Speed 1 through a public auction of a long-term concession.
	The precise timing of this sale has not yet been decided and will depend on an assessment of market conditions.

London and Continental Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the sale of property associated with London  Continental Rail Ltd to be completed.

Chris Mole: London and Continental Railways Ltd. hold a wide range of property interests, both those associated with the operation of the High Speed One railway, and associated developments.
	Of these, by far the most significant in terms of independent commercial value are the development interests at Stratford and Kings Cross. In each case, London and Continental Railways has entered into separate development arrangements which will provide a long-term interest in the commercial potential of the sites.
	No decision has yet been made as to when London and Continental Railways should seek to sell these interests. In part, this will depend on an assessment as to which point in the development project a sale would deliver best return to the taxpayer, versus future risk of continued participation.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he takes to ensure consistency across all regions of the Highways Agency when imposing speed limits on motorways when roadworks are taking place; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency achieves consistency in setting speed limits at road works on the strategic road network by adhering to the guidance detailed in Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. Using site specific risk assessment the Traffic Signs Manual addresses the majority of variables to be considered in light of the individual locations and makes clear recommendations for each variable.

National Express East Coast

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his estimate is of the capital value of National Express East Coast Ltd.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has full visibility of the National Express East Coast management accounts. However, franchise capital values are commercially confidential.

Parking: Fines

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the level of use of automated number plate recognition systems in the levying of parking fines; and what guidance his Department has issued on the proportionate use of traffic-based surveillance cameras.

Sadiq Khan: Camera equipment used by traffic authorities for civil parking enforcement has to be certified by the Secretary of State for Transport. The Department for Transport (DFT) is aware of one authority whose certified system uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to assist the visual identification of vehicles when the evidence is reviewed. Any system that relied solely on ANPR evidence would not comply with the certification criteria.
	Guidance for traffic authorities in England on the use of camera technology for civil parking enforcement is set out on pages 55 to 58 of DFT's Operational Guidance to Local Authorities on Parking Policy and Enforcement, issued in March 2008.

Railway Track

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of restoring disused railway lines in England and Wales for use by cyclists and pedestrians.

Chris Mole: Many disused railway lines have already been transferred to Railway Paths Ltd, which is the commercial arm of the cycling charity SUSTRANS. The charity is developing these routes as cycle paths which are also suitable for pedestrian use.

Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what  (a) operational and  (b) infrastructure barriers have been identified to linkages between High Speed One and any proposed high speed lines.

Chris Mole: High Speed Two will report to the Government by the end of the year with a proposed route from London to the West Midlands, setting out any necessary options. As part of this work, High Speed Two has been asked to provide advice on the costs and benefits of options for linking with High Speed One.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether funding allocated by his Department is able to be used to settle franchise disputes in the High Court during Control Period Four.

Chris Mole: Funding allocated by the Department for Transport is able to be used to settle franchise disputes in the High Court during Control Period 4.

Road Traffic Offences

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if the Secretary of State will make it his policy to monitor the incidence of publication on the internet of video recordings of traffic violations.

Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Campbell) on 30 June 2009,  Official Report, column 168W.

Roads

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in which local authority areas road pricing technology trials are taking place.

Sadiq Khan: The trial is based around existing driving patterns of volunteers recruited by our contractors. Their driving is not restricted to specific local authority boundaries.

Safety Belts

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the rates of wearing  (a) front and  (b) rear seat belts among (i) males and (ii) females of each age group in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Annual seat belt wearing surveys undertaken for the Department for Transport include information on seat belt usage rates by seating position, age and gender. The most recent publication, LF2106 (with results at October 2008) reported the relevant wearing rates in table 3. That publication is available free of charge at:
	http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/free_reports/

Speed Limits: Cameras

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the allocation of revenue from local safety camera partnerships.

Paul Clark: From April 2007, penalties paid as a result of offences detected by safety enforcement cameras have not been retained by local safety camera partnerships; therefore no currently relevant guidance is issued by the Department.

Transport: Government Assistance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on assistance for major public transport schemes in the East of England in each of the last 10 years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has provided the following support for public transport major schemes in the East of England in the last 10 years:
	
		
			  Major public transport scheme s:  East of England 
			   Funding (£ million) 
			   1999-2004  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Cambridgeshire Guided Busway    15.9 38.0 38.6 
			 Norwich Public Transport Interchange  9.8     
			 A13 Passenger Transport Corridor (A127-A1159)   14.5   

WALES

Building Britains Future

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the Bills referred to in Annex A of the Building Britain's Future document  (a) will include Framework Powers for Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and  (b) will not include Wales in their territorial extent.

Peter Hain: The policy content of Bills referred to in the Draft Legislative Programme is in the process of being developed. Discussions will continue between Ministers and officials, including the Welsh Assembly Government.
	We will consider requests made by the Welsh Assembly Government for the need for framework powers which must be within the scope of the proposed Bill.

Building Britains Future

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions officials of his Department have had with officials of other Government departments on the contents of Bills referred to in Annex A of the Building Britains Future document.

Peter Hain: Wales Office officials have held, and continue to hold discussions with colleagues from other Government Departments on the implications for Wales of Bills in the Draft Legislative Programme.

Building Britains Future

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the content of Bills referred to in Annex A of the Building Britains Future document.

Peter Hain: My predecessor and I have held, and will continue to hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the content of Bills in the Draft Legislative Programme, as was published on 29 June 2009.

Departmental Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information databases his Department  (a) maintains and  (b) uses which do not contain personal information.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office maintains its own databases to support the administration of correspondence, and of parliamentary questions. These do not contain personal data.
	My Department also makes use of two database systems provided and maintained by the Ministry of Justice. One is a document storage system, which contains some personal data and this complies with Government rules on the storage of personal information. The other is a financial system to support our payments, financial management and accounting.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Jo Swinson: To ask the Leader of the House what her estimate is of the annual cost of running the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Barbara Keeley: The budget for the Authority has not been finalised but will be made public as soon as possible.

Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Leader of the House what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the schedule for the establishment of a Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Keeley: Having consulted on this matter, the Government intend to bring forward proposals for the establishment of a Committee soon. We intend that the Committee should have time to consider the 2009 update to the National Security Strategy and to make recommendations for subsequent updates.

Regional Select Committees

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to paragraph 20, Chapter 1, of Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, what proposals she has for building upon the accountability of the system of regional government to regional Select Committees in the House.

Barbara Keeley: Regional Select Committees began work in March and April this year. Three of the eight Committees are conducting inquiries that focus primarily on the work of regional development agencies; the others are conducting wider-ranging inquiries into the economic conditions in the region, which will touch on the work of regional development agencies.
	The Government will continue to observe developments in the regional Select Committees as their inquiries progress.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Manpower

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of his Department's staff deployed in each region of Iraq  (a) have been trained in each year since 2001 and  (b) are being trained in each local Iraqi language.

Michael Foster: Records of language training carried out since 2001 have not been retained. Currently two Department for International Development (DFID) officials in Baghdad are taking part-time Arabic language classes.
	There are also three Arabic-speaking Iraqi nationals working for DFID in Baghdad. In Basra, DFID employs two Arabic-speaking Iraqi nationals, and one further is being recruited.
	DFID has employed over 40 Arabic-speaking Iraqi nationals in Iraq since 2001.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of his Department's staff deployed in each region of Afghanistan  (a) have been trained in each year since 2001 and  (b) are being trained in each local Afghan language.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not keep records of how many people have been trained in Afghan languages since 2001. Such training is frequently informal or organised privately by the individuals concerned.
	DFID currently has seven UK-based staff members working in Kabul currently learning Dari, the official language of Afghanistan alongside Pashtu. In addition, we employ 16 locally engaged staff who are native Dari/Pashtu speakers in Kabul and one in Lashkar Gah. We also have access to Afghan translators for both languages in both Kabul and Lashkar Gah.
	DFID provides over 95 per cent. of the funding for the cross-departmental Stabilisation Unit. It has 18 Pashtu and 21 Dari speakers on its database of deployable civilian experts. Two Pashtu speakers are currently deployed in Helmand.

Overseas Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's bilateral aid to each recipient country is  (a) budgetary and  (b) project support in 2008-09.

Michael Foster: A detailed breakdown of the Department for International Developments (DFID) bilateral aid to each recipient country by aid-type is published in Statistics on International Development, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House or via DFIDs website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role he expects  (a) the Youth Culture Trust and  (b) Creativity Culture and Education to have in the (i) Find your Talent and (ii) Creative Partnerships scheme.

Barbara Follett: As Creativity Culture and Education are still in the process of delivering the Find Your Talent pathfinders and Creative Partnerships scheme, the Youth Culture Trust has not yet been established.
	This is because the purpose of the Youth Culture Trust is to deliver on the vision of Find Your Talent and the precise administrative arrangements for this will not be finalised until the scale and purpose of the programme beyond the pathfinders has been finalised.

Children

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been allocated to encourage children to adopt more active lifestyles in  (a) Test Valley Borough and  (b) Southampton in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England have advised that the following initiatives have received funding to encourage children to adopt more active lifestyles in  (a) Test Valley and  (b) Southampton in the last 12 months.
	 (i) Sport Unlimited
	Sport Unlimited is an integral part of the Governments PE and Sport Strategy for Young People. The overall aim of Sport Unlimited is to increase opportunities for children and young people aged five to 19 to participate regularly in sport.
	It will do this by providing a range of attractive and sustainable opportunities in sporting activities for young people to take part in out of school hours during term time and will focus on out of school hours and club activities both within school and community settings.
	In Southampton, approximately £36,428 is allocated this financial year to deliver projects across the city. In addition, approximately £12,400 has been allocated to the Test Valley. Both areas will also benefit from the Leadership and Volunteering award. Sport England allocated £22,000 to the County Sports Partnership.
	 (ii) Awards for All
	Awards for All allocated £9,300 to set up a rugby club for young people and adults with learning difficulties. Funding was for kit and equipment with the aim of providing opportunities for members to participate in training and competitive tag rugby matches in a safe and fun environment.
	 (iii) Other Sport England funding
	Southampton Amateur Gym Club was awarded £8,414 from the Community Club Development Programme and Eastleigh Football in the Community was awarded £10,500 Sportsmatch funding.
	 (iv) Free Swimming
	Southampton unitary authority has opted in to the under 16 and over 60 Free Swimming Programme and has received £173,211. The local authorities that have opted to offer the scheme to both age groups have also received a share of a £10 million capital fund to spend on modernising or improving pool provision. Southampton has received £69,290 in this regard.

Cricket: Schools

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate  (a) Chance to Shine and  (b) his Department has made of the percentage of schools which are playing competitive inter-school fixtures with hard cricket balls.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 July 2009
	My Department has made no estimate of the percentage of schools which are playing competitive inter-school fixtures with hard cricket balls. Sport England have advised that they do not collect data on the percentage of schools which play competitive inter-school fixtures with hard cricket balls.

Culture: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Find Your Talent scheme in  (a) total and  (b) each of the 10 pathfinder regions to date.

Barbara Follett: The total expenditure on Find Your Talent to date is approximately £6,833,601, of which approximately £6,389,301 has been spent on the 10 pathfinders. The breakdown is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Pathfinder  Total to date (£) 
			 Bolton 650,000 
			 Shepway 498,000 
			 Customs House 665,000 
			 Leeds 740,000 
			 Leicestershire 740,000 
			 Liverpool 783,885 
			 North Somerset 521,000 
			 PUSH 611,416 
			 Telford and Wrekin 560,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 620,000 
			 Total 6,389,301

Demos

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) private meetings and  (b) public engagements Ministers in his Department have attended at which representatives from the think-tank Demos were present in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departmental Older Workers

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department will reach the age of 65 years in the year 2011.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 July 2009
	No employees at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will reach the age of 65 by the year 2011.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's estimate is of the level of under-spend over the whole period of the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, as referred to in the Digital Britain report; and how this estimate has been arrived at.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Audit Office estimated an underspend of around £250 million in 2008 based on the take-up rate of the Help Scheme during the switchover at Whitehaven and Copeland. We have since had continuing discussions with the BBC Help Scheme about take up rates in subsequent switchovers and other cost drivers, and these confirm that this is a robust estimate of the eventual underspend. After switchover in the Granada TV region is completed at the end of 2009, when a significant proportion and representative sample of households will have switched over, we will conduct a further stock-take of the position.

Football Foundation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Sport England has paid to the Football Foundation in each of the last three years; and what payments he expects to be made in each of the next three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 July 2009
	Sport England advise that in the last three years it has funded the Football Foundation for capital and revenue projects as follows:
	2006-07: £20,675,000 (Exchequer) + £2,500,000 (Lottery)
	2007-08: £16,000,000 (Exchequer) + £2,500,000 (Lottery)
	2008-09: £17,500,000 (Exchequer)
	In addition the Football Foundation received the following Exchequer payments on behalf of the Football Association under the Community Club Development Programme, a programme administered by Sport England:
	2006-07: £1,388,784
	2007-08: £2,307,495
	2008-09: £4,047,670
	Sport England is currently in negotiation with the Football Foundation over its funding agreement for 2009-13.

Hotels

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of trends in demand for hotels in the UK with  (a) up to 20 bedspaces,  (b) 21 to 100 bedspaces and  (c) 101 or more bedspaces over the last 10 years.

Barbara Follett: DCMS has not undertaken an assessment of this kind in respect of hotels in the UK, and has no plans to do so.

Licensed Premises

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to reduce the time required for applicants to complete a premises licence application.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no plans to reduce the time period during which a premises licence application under the Licensing Act 2003 can be considered by interested parties and responsible authorities. Those with a legitimate interest, such as local residents and the police, need sufficient time to consider applications and make representations.
	However, the Department is currently developing proposals to enable fully electronic applications which will have the potential to significantly reduce the cost and time associated with completing and submitting an application form. In the longer term, we are also committed to reviewing the forms themselves to see whether they can be simplified and shortened.

Local Press: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what timetable has been set for the Audit Commission's review of council funding for local newspapers.

Ben Bradshaw: Councils are not responsible for the funding of local newspapers. Councils may however take paid advertising to support local authority information sheets. As the Office of Fair Trading noted in its review, this practice may have an adverse impact on local newspapers.
	In line with the recommendation in Chapter 5 of the Digital Britain Report, the Government have invited the Audit Commission to undertake a review of the impact of loss of advertising revenue on local newspapers. Their response is expected shortly.

Public Libraries

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to make a final ruling in the Wirral Library Review; when he plans to publish the new National Strategy for Libraries; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Secretary of State expects to announce his decision on the library service provided by Wirral metropolitan borough council as soon as possible after he has considered the conclusions of the independent inquiry. This is expected to report in the summer.
	In respect of the Library Service Modernisation Review, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 June 2009,  Official Report, column 510W.

Sport England

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to receive the report of the inquiry into the World Class Payments Bureau at Sport England; and whether the full report will be published.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 July 2009
	I expect to receive the report of the inquiry into the World Class Payments Bureau this autumn and the full report to be published.

Sports Coach: Executives

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the employment status is of the Chief Executive of Sports Coach UK; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 July 2009
	Sports Coach UK is an independent organization which is not one of my Department's non-departmental public bodies. Therefore I am not in a position to comment on the employment status of its Chief Executive.

Tourism: Entry Clearances

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourist visitors there were to each region in the first quarter of  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The numbers of visits to the English regions in the first quarter of 2008 and 2009 are contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: First quarter 2008 
			  Region  Million( 1) 
			 West Midlands 1.932 
			 East of England 2.006 
			 East Midlands 1.389 
			 London 2.955 
			 North West 2.408 
			 North East 0.760 
			 South East 3.282 
			 South West 3.519 
			 Yorkshire 2.034 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: First quarter, 3 July 2009 
			  Region  Million( 1) 
			 West Midlands 1.793 
			 East of England 1.982 
			 East Midlands 1.374 
			 London 2.252 
			 North West 2.202 
			 North East 0.698 
			 South East 2.889 
			 South West 2.752 
			 Yorkshire 1.965 
			 (1) UK-resident domestic overnight trips in English regions, all purposes.

Tourism: Expenditure

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the amount spent on tourism by local authorities in the latest period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 3 July 2009
	Figures for local authority tourism spending in England are drawn from returns made by individual authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The most recent data available are for 2007-08, in which net current expenditure on tourism amounted to £123.3 million.

Tourism: Transport

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to produce with the Secretary of State for Transport a draft strategy to develop transport networks in order to encourage growth in the tourism industry.

Barbara Follett: We currently have no plans to produce such a strategy, but my Department is already working with the Department for Transport on a number of tourism transport issues. For example, ministerial colleagues from the Department for Transport are members of the recently established Cross-Government Ministerial Group on Tourism, which was set up to promote and support the industry in Westminster and Whitehall.
	In addition, our recently published sustainable tourism framework takes account of the Department for Transport's Delivering a Sustainable Transport System which sets out the Government's aim of building up a transport system which supports quality of life and a healthy natural environment. This is one of the Department for Transport's five strategic goals and is underpinned by a number of challenges which will be used to inform future transport spending priorities and could be used by transport planners for transport schemes that would support tourism.

UK School Games: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much each funding stream contributed to the UK School Games in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and how much each stream is contributing to the 2009 UK School Games.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A breakdown of the funding streams from the Exchequer, the National Lottery, private sponsorship and the host city for the UK School Games between 2006 and 2009 is displayed as follows:
	 2006 (£2.036 million)
	Exchequer£0
	Lottery£1,484,000 (Millennium Commission)
	Private sector£343,000
	Host city£209,000
	 2007 (£2.89 million)
	Exchequer£0
	Lottery£2.3 million (BIG Lottery)
	Private sector£540,000
	Host city£50,000
	 2008 (£3.260 million)
	Exchequer£2.7 million
	Lottery£0
	Private sector£160,000
	Host city£400,000
	 2009 (£3.4 million estimated)
	Exchequer£2.7 million
	Lottery£0
	Private sector£200,000 (estimated)
	Host city£500,000

UK School Games: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009,  Official Report, column 615W, on the UK School Games: finance, how much funding the UK School Games received from  (a) the Exchequer,  (b) the National Lottery,  (c) private sponsorship and  (d) the host city money between 2006 and 2009; and how much funding from each source he expects to be provided in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 July 2009
	A breakdown of funding from the Exchequer, the National Lottery, private sponsorship and the host city for the UK School Games between 2006 and 2009 is displayed in the following list:
	 2006 (£2.036 million)
	Exchequer£0
	Lottery£1,484,000 (Millennium Commission)
	Private sector£343,000
	Host city£209,000
	 2007 (£2.89 million)
	Exchequer£0
	Lottery£2.3 million (BIG Lottery)
	Private sector£540,000
	Host city£50,000
	 2008 (£3.260 million)
	Exchequer£2.7 million
	Lottery£0
	Private sector£160,000
	Host city£400,000
	 2009 (£3.4 million estimated)
	Exchequer£2.7 million
	Lottery£0
	Private sector£200,000 (estimated)
	Host city£500,000
	The exact nature of distribution of funding for the games in 2010 and 2011 is currently under discussion.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Translation Services: Northern Ireland

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the National Framework Agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals within the criminal justice system applies to Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The National Agreement on Arrangements for the Use of Interpreters and Translators in the Criminal Justice System only applies to provision within England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, a joint contract has been established between relevant criminal justice organisations and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (for face-to-face interpretation) and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (for sign language). This aims to enhance consistency in how interpretation is used across the criminal justice system by setting out the specific requirements of each partner organisation which is underpinned by individual organisational guidance. The contract provides flexibility for the use of interpreters registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (England and Wales), where particular requirements cannot be met locally.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces deployed in each region of Afghanistan  (a) have been trained in each year since 2001 and  (b) are being trained in each local Afghan language.

Bill Rammell: Records for Farsi are available from 2001. Very little training in Pashto and Dari was conducted before 2005. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Farsi and Dari are very similar languages and many personnel trained in Farsi have also received some training in Dari.
	The following tables provide the available figures for each of the three relevant languages.
	
		
			  Pashto 
			   SLP1  SLP2  SLP3  SLP4  Total 
			 2009 18 2 2 0 22 
			 2008 11 33 18 2 64 
			 2007 65 34 6 0 105 
			 2006 30 17 1 0 48 
			 2005 7 0 0 0 7 
			 Total 131 86 27 2 246 
		
	
	
		
			  Dari 
			   SLP1  SLP2  SLP3  SLP4  Total 
			 2009 8 4 0 0 12 
			 2008 6 2 1 0 9 
			 2007 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 6 6 0 0 12 
			 2005 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 20 12 1 0 33 
		
	
	
		
			  Farsi 
			   SLP1  SLP2  SLP3  SLP4  Total 
			 2009 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2008 5 15 3 1 24 
			 2007 18 20 7 1 46 
			 2006 3 19 12 3 37 
			 2005 1 8 1 2 12 
			 2004 0 1 4 3 8 
			 2003 0 2 2 3 7 
			 2002 0 0 2 2 4 
			 2001 0 1 0 2 3 
			 Total 27 66 31 17 141 
		
	
	The figures in the table do not include figures for the Special Forces and do not include personnel who have left the services since their language training and whose details are no longer available. The figures for 2009 are to date and do not include expected outputs for the remainder of the year.
	Entries are made against the year when qualifications were achieved. SLP levels can be defined as follows: SLP1Survival, SLP2Functional, SLP3Professional and SLP4Expert. Qualifications in speaking and listening skills have been used to determine the SLP level against which personnel are listed.
	The figures for Pashto do not include personnel who received SLP1 level training but were not examined, or did not pass the exam, at this level. It is estimated that up to 200 personnel fall into this category.
	In addition to this, all military personnel deploying to Afghanistan receive a little training from native speakers in very basic phrases, words and responses, and are issued with an aide-mémoire. Approximately 14,000 personnel have received this very basic training in the last year.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his speech given at Wilton Park on 15 January 2009, NATO at 60: towards a new strategic concept, how many additional helicopters have been delivered to forces in Afghanistan as a result of the UK-French Helicopter Fund established in the March 2008 Franco-British Summit Communiqué.

Bob Ainsworth: A number of nations have benefited from the UK-FR helicopter initiative to make their helicopters more deployable. The first three helicopters will deploy to Afghanistan as a direct result of the initiative from December this year. We expect a further five to deploy in 2010 and up to three more by end 2011. Additional contributions to the fund would further increase these numbers.

Armed Forces: Families

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the  (a) travel and  (b) accommodation costs of families visiting service personnel in hospital have been met by his Department in the last two years.

Kevan Jones: Travel and accommodation at public expense for families visiting service personnel in hospital is covered by the Dangerously Ill Forwarding of Relatives (DILFOR) scheme. This scheme provides for two people to receive the full cost of accommodation and travel, including overseas travel, at public expense. This is usually provided to the individual's emergency contact or next of kin plus one other.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army recruits passed through phase  (a) 1 and  (b) 2 training without achieving entry level 3 in (i) literacy and (ii) numeracy in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The following table provides training phase 1 and 2 information for the period 31 October 2008 and 30 June 2009.
	
		
			Not recorded as achieving entry level 3 
			Literacy  Numeracy 
			  Training phase  Total cohort  Number  Percentage  Number  percentage 
			 Phase 1 4,842 258 5.3 178 3.7 
			 Phase 2 5,088 236 4.6 153 3.0 
		
	
	However, some phase 2 trainees conduct apprenticeships, remedial training at Army education centres, or utilise external training providers, and their achievement of entry level 3 standard may not yet be on their personnel file. The figures provided above may therefore be higher than the true position.
	Additional measures to support the delivery of basic skills were introduced in 2008, the benefits of which we expect to see in 2009 and beyond.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles of each type are  (a) in service with the UK Land Command,  (b) fit for purpose,  (c) undergoing repair and  (d) unavailable for operations for other reasons.

Quentin Davies: Headquarters Land Command became Headquarters Land Forces on 1 April 2008. The vehicle holdings, as at 3 July 2009, are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Vehicle type  In service  Fit for purpose  Undergoing repair  Unavailable 
			 Warrior all variants 793 619 158 16 
			 CVR(T) all variants 1,196 908 280 8 
			 Saxon Patrol 147 140 5 2 
			 AFV 430 all variants 1,487 1,360 107 20 
			 Challenger 2 345 334 5 6 
			 Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle 81 75 4 2 
			 Titan 27 27 0 0 
			 Trojan 28 28 0 0 
			 Viking all variants 184 180 2 2 
			 Stormer HVM 115 109 6 0 
			 Shielder 30 25 1 4 
			 AS 90 146 140 3 3 
			 Panther 401 396 3 2 
			 Jackal 202 160 41 1 
			 Snatch 568 544 24 0 
			 Mastiff 182 170 12 0 
			 Ridgback 30 29 1 0 
			 Vector 178 143 35 0 
		
	
	Some vehicle platforms have been undergoing radio conversion work, repairs and overhauls and have therefore been taken temporarily out of service on a rolling basis. This has affected the number of fit for purpose vehicles, which can change on a daily basis.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government plans to purchase the Avaris 4x4 protected vehicle.

Quentin Davies: The Government have no current plans to purchase the Aravis vehicle.

Elizabeth Cross

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 18-21WS, on armed forces recognition, for what reason a distinction is drawn between retrospective recognition for the families of those who served and died in  (a) Palestine since 27 September 1945 and otherwise since 1 January 1948 and  (b) the Second World War.

Kevan Jones: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission attributed deaths up to 1 January 1948 to world war two service and recorded them on their Rolls of Honour and Memorials. The only exception to this is deaths in Palestine from 27 September 1945 to 30 June 1948, which will also be eligible for the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll. This is consistent with the dates used for recognition on the Armed Forces Memorial, although the criteria for inclusion on that memorial are different.

Gurkhas: Ex-servicemen

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how many Gurkhas who retired from the armed forces before 1997 have since died; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: Insufficient information is held to enable a reliable estimate to be made of the number of Gurkhas who retired from the armed forces before 1997 and who have now passed away. Many generations of Gurkhas have served with great distinction in the UK armed forces, since they were first permitted to volunteer for British military service in the 1815 peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Nepalese war of 1814-15. Between 1948, when the Brigade of Gurkhas was formed as part of the British Army and 1 July 1997, when the Brigade became UK based, it is estimated that some 37,100 Gurkhas served in and were discharged from the Brigade. We also estimate that from those years there remain 34,700 Gurkhas and Gurkha widows, who are in receipt of a Gurkha pension.

Gurkhas: Pensions

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the merits of increasing the future pension for Gurkhas who served prior to 1997 to a level equivalent to that of British Army soldiers with the same service with effect from 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to implement changes to pensions and similar benefits retrospectively. This policy has been applied across the public sector in the United Kingdom, not just to Gurkha veterans. To do so now would not only be counter to this policy but would also lead to potential claims from other groups in public sector schemes.
	The Gurkha pension scheme pays pensions earlier than the armed forces pension scheme. This is because Gurkhas are unlikely to work again in Nepal unlike their British counterparts, in the UK. For example, a Gurkha Rifleman or Corporal with 15 years service (approximately 85 per cent. of those receiving GPS payments) can claim an immediate pension (from age 33) whereas equivalent service under the AFPS would not attract pension payments until age 60. Like any pension scheme, the earlier the benefits are paid the lower the annual payment.
	It has been estimated that the cost of increasing the annual pension payments for Gurkhas who served prior to 1 July 1997 to the amount received by their UK equivalents would be £1.5 billion over 20 years.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces deployed in each region of Iraq  (a) have been trained in each year since 2003 and  (b) are being trained in each local Iraqi language.

Bill Rammell: Arabic is the most widely spoken language in Iraq. Apart from Arabic, a number of minority languages are spoken in Iraq. The only language group with a population over 1 million is Kurdish, in its various forms, and the only other language groups with a population over 100,000 are Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Azeri and Farsi.
	The following table reflects the numbers of personnel trained in Arabic since 2003. Defence has not trained personnel in Kurdish. While Defence has a Farsi capability, no personnel have been trained in Farsi specifically for operations in Iraq, and neither Chaldean Neo-Aramic nor Azeri has ever been required in an Operation Telic context.
	The following table provides the available figures for training in Arabic.
	
		
			  Arabic  SLP1  SLP2  SLP3  SLP4  Total 
			 2009 1 3 0 0 4 
			 2008 16 37 13 4 70 
			 2007 67 88 26 5 186 
			 2006 38 38 20 4 100 
			 2005 40 16 19 3 78 
			 2004 10 10 19 1 40 
			 2003 1 3 16 0 20 
			 Total 173 195 113 17 498 
		
	
	The above figures do not include figures for the special forces, and do not include personnel who have left the services since their language training and whose details are no longer available. The figures for 2009 are to date and do not include expected outputs for the remainder of the year.
	Entries are made against the year when qualifications were achieved. SLP levels can be defined as follows: SLP 1-Survival, SLP 2-Functional, SLP 3-Professional and SLP 4-Expert. Qualifications in speaking and listening skills have been used to determine the SLP level against which personnel are listed.
	The figures do not include personnel who received SLP 1 level training but were either not examined or did not pass the exam at this level. It is estimated that up to 200 personnel fall into this category.
	The figures do not reflect the very basic Arabic language training provided to all deploying personnel. During pre-deployment training, they have received some instruction in greetings and responses, words and phrases, and have been issued with a language aide-mémoire to enable basic communication.

Military Aircraft: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average number of training hours spent by fast jet pilots in each aircraft type in the Royal Air Force was in each  (a) year since 2003 and  (b) month of 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: Officials are collating the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Military Aircraft: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training hours flying time RAF fast jet pilots were able to undertake on average in each year since 2004.  [Official Report, 16 December 2009, Vol. 502, c. 3MC.]

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bill Rammell to Liam Fox:
	My predecessor undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Questions on 23 February 2009 (Official Report, column 37W) and 2 March 2009 (Official Report, column 1364W) about the average training hours spent by fast jet pilots in each aircraft type in each year since 2003 and in each month of 2008 and the training hours flying time RAF fast jet pilots were able to undertake on average in each year since 2004, respectively. I undertook to write once officials had completed collating the data and as the two questions are very similar in nature I am providing a combined answer.
	Aircrew are monitored for competency levels throughout their flying career and training continues for Front Line aircrew after the initial award of Combat Ready Status. This answer gives the number of average actual Front Line pilot training flying hours for 2005 onwards. Information prior to 2005 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Additionally, subsequent changes to the flying hours reporting system have resulted in data not being held centrally for 2007/08; figures for that year could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost. Therefore, figures for the financial year 2007-08 have not been provided.
	The available annual data is provided below and has been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	
		
			   Average actual front line pilot training flying hours 
			  Fast jet aircraft type  FY 2005/06  FY 2006/07 
			 Jaguar 225 197 
			 Tornado F3 204 220 
			 Tornado GR4 194 195 
			 Harrier 165 148 
			 Typhoon 264 250 
			 Total hours 1,052 1,010 
		
	
	From the information provided above the average of actual fast jet pilot training flying hours is 210 for FY 2005-06 and 202 for FY 2006-07.
	Changes to the flying hours reporting system mentioned above, also means that monthly data for the period January to March 2008 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The available monthly data for 2008 is provided below and has been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	
		
			   Average actual monthly front line pilot training flying hours 
			  Month of 2008  Tornado F3  Tornado GR4  Harrier  Typhoon 
			 April 12 11 12 17 
			 May 10 11 9 15 
			 June 13 10 9 15 
			 July 11 9 10 15 
			 August 11 9 9 11 
			 September 10 11 14 15 
			 October 10 10 12 14 
			 November 9 8 7 14 
			 December 5 6 5 7 
		
	
	We expect to fly less over the winter months as a result of stations standing down over the festive season and adverse weather conditions affecting planned flights.
	The hours for Hawk training aircraft have not been included as these aircraft are not used on Operations.
	I apologise for the delay in replying and any inconvenience caused.

Radioactive Waste: Waste Management

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2009,  Official Report, column 753W, on radioactive waste: waste management, which of the recommendations of the report have been implemented; and what the outstanding issues are which he expects to be addressed by the end of September 2009.

Quentin Davies: Of the 27 recommendations in the report, 23 have been implemented. It is anticipated that, of the four remaining recommendations, two covering design drawings and maintenance of underground pipe work will be completed by the end of September 2009.
	It has been decided that the final two recommendations, which cover the requirement for safety justification and for new equipment, can best be addressed as part of a future options study to determine Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde's long-term plans for radioactive waste management arrangements. This is due to report in the first quarter of 2010.
	In the meantime, all radioactive waste handling is carried out in accordance with procedures that have been agreed with the appropriate regulatory bodies, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Territorial Army

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the location is of each Territorial Army centre in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what the  (a) establishment figure,  (b) current manning figure and  (c) location is of each unit of company equivalent level or higher of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.

Bill Rammell: There are more than 2,600 sites accommodating the reserve forces and Cadets, ranging from Cadet huts to training areas. The Territorial Army (TA) shares many of these sites with other reserve force and Cadet units, and some TA units are based at regular Army sites. Following the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Reserves to improve the Volunteer Estate, we are currently capturing detailed information about reserve force locations. Once this information is available, I will place a copy in the Library of the House.
	A copy of TA sub-unit establishment liability figures will also be placed in the Library of the House.
	As at 1 April 2009, total manning for the TA was 35,350. Manning information is held in the Joint Personnel Administration system but not in the format requested. This information could be provided at disproportionate cost in the requested format only.

Trident

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy not to take any decision on the initial gate stage of Trident until proposals for such a decision have been debated on the floor of the House; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 June 2009,  Official Report, column 628W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn).

JUSTICE

Appeals: Disability Living Allowance

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of appeals against a refusal to award disability living allowance to young people with autism have been upheld in each year since 2001.

Bridget Prentice: The First-tier TribunalSocial Security and Child Support (SSCS) does not keep the information which the hon. Member requested in a readily available format. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following disability living allowance data are available:
	
		
			  Numbers of disability living allowance appeals 
			   Appeals cleared at hearing( 1)  Decisions against the appellant  Percentage decision against  Decisions in favour of the appellant  Percentage decision in favour 
			 2001-02 78,169 35,674 45.6 41,623 53.2 
			 2002-03 71,034 31,606 44.5 38,598 54.3 
			 2003-04 71,800 33,590 46.8 37,223 51.8 
			 2004-05 73,211 34,924 47.7 37,183 50.8 
			 2005-06 71,125 34,363 48.3 35,495 49.9 
			 2006-07 63,727 (2) (2) 30,144 47.3 
			 2007-08 58,842 30,813 52.4 26,974 45.8 
			 2008-09 54,645 30;131 55.1 23,594 43.2 
			 (1) In addition to decisions in favour and against, this includes cases that have been withdrawn, postponed or adjourned. (2) Data not available. Only limited data are available for 2006-07 as there was a change-over between computer systems during the year which has left an overlap in records which cannot be reconciled.

Closed Circuit Television

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance the Information Commissioner has provided to local authorities on the use of CCTV cameras fitted with microphones.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is the UKs independent authority established to promote access to official information and to protect personal data.
	The ICO has not issued guidance specifically for local authorities on the operation of CCTV cameras. However, the Office published a revised edition of its CCTV code of practice in 2008. The code offers guidance to all operators of CCTV cameras to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA).
	In addition, the ICO provides guidance to any data controller in response to specific queries; such queries could include the operation of CCTV cameras.

Coroners and Justice Bill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what  (a) representations he has received from and  (b) discussions he has had since January 2009 with (i) hon. and right hon. Members and (ii) Members of the House of Lords wishing to amend the Coroners and Justice Bill to (A) repeal, (B) clarify the provisions of the existing law on the prohibition of assisted suicide and (C) make it easier to assist suicide overseas; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Ministers from his Department have  (a) authorised Parliamentary Counsel to assist in drafting amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill on behalf of private Members in the House of Lords and  (b) authorised officials in his Department to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to draft amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill which (i) were subsequently provided to private Members in the House of Lords and (ii) are intended to be provided to private Members in the House of Lords for tabling; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: We have received 186 letters from hon. Members and right hon. Members and one letter from a Member of the House of Lords during this period.
	My noble Friend Lord Bach has had a number of meetings with Members of the House of Lords on all sides on various aspects of the Coroners and Justice Bill including proposals by Lord Falconer to reform the law on assisted suicide.
	With regard to the issue of legalising assisted suicide, the Government believe that this is an issue of individual conscience and hence a matter for Parliament to decide.
	Parliamentary counsel has not been instructed by the Department to draft amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill to be tabled by private Members in the House of Lords.

EU Law

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the statutory obligations upon it provided for in legislation on matters for which it is responsible which were introduced as a consequence of obligations arising from EU legislation in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: Information as to statutory obligations arising from EU legislation and their associated costs is not held centrally by the Department and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what changes to the criteria for eligibility for legal aid for civil cases have been made since May 1997.

Bridget Prentice: On 1 April 2000, the Access to Justice Act 1999 came into force and established the community legal service (CLS) in place of the previous civil legal aid scheme. The financial eligibility criteria for legal help and for legal representation through the CLS were set out in the Community Legal Service (Financial) Regulations 2000, which came into force on 1 April 2000. The financial criteria were substantially amended by the Community Legal Service (Financial) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2001, which came into force on 3 December 2001. This brought about the simplification of the means test, with the introduction of a gross income limit and disposable income calculation based on a small number of targeted allowances. The financial eligibility limits are increased from time to time in line with inflation. From April 2005, the income limits for legal help and legal representation were aligned. At the same time the disposable capital limit for legal help was increased from £3,000 to £8,000, and we allowed the disposable income limit to be waived for victims of domestic violence seeking protection from harm. From 9 April 2007 we extended this so that both income and capital limits could be waived for these domestic violence victims. On 6 April 2009 we increased the financial eligibility limits for civil legal aid by 5 per cent.

Legal Aid

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent in  (a) cash terms and  (b) real terms on legal aid for civil cases in each year since 1996-97.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested is shown in the following table, however, expenditure for 2008-09 is provisional. The figures do not include administration costs. The real terms expenditure is based on 2008-09 prices.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Total cash civil legal aid expenditure  Real terms expenditure 
			 1996-97 807 1,073 
			 1997-98 793 1,028 
			 1998-99 836 1,061 
			 1999-2000 769 957 
			 2000-01 792 973 
			 2001-02 735 883 
			 2002-03 813 946 
			 2003-04 898 1,017 
			 2004-05 846 932 
			 2005-06 831 899 
			 2006-07 809 850 
			 2007-08 844 862 
			 2008-09 913 913

Legal Services Commission

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will discuss with the Legal Services Commission the incidence of solicitors paying referral fees to other solicitors for advocacy work under the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is currently investigating a small number of specific allegations that have been made about referral fees. The LSC will continue to investigate any specific issues brought to its attention, and will respond appropriately if a firm has breached the terms of its contract with the LSC.

Legal Services Commission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding has been allocated by his Department through the  (a) exceptional funding process and  (b) Legal Services Commission to Green Planning Solutions in relation to planning inquiries in the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Advocacy before a planning inquiry is outside the normal scope of civil legal aid. Green Planning Solutions have not been, and are not, contracted providers of civil legal aid, and therefore would not have provided legal aid advice on planning matters. Neither my Department, nor the Legal Services Commission, have any record of legal aid for advocacy before a planning inquiry being granted to a client of Green Planning Solutions under the exceptional funding scheme.

Local Government Boundary Committee for England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what methodology is used by the  (a) Boundary Committee for England and  (b) Boundary Commission to estimate the size of the electorate for the purposes of boundary reviews.

Michael Wills: Questions relating to the Boundary Committee for England are the responsibility of the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission.
	Under the current rules governing reviews by the Boundary Commission, the electorate of any constituency in each part of the United Kingdom must be as near as is practicable to the electoral quota (which, broadly, is the average number of electors in each constituency). Differences in the size of the electorate in each constituency may occur since the Boundary Commission may depart from strict application of the rules in specified circumstances, for example, where special geographical considerations apply or to take account of any local ties which would be broken by boundary changes. The rules require the Boundary Commission when carrying out a review to use the number of electors whose names appear on the register of parliamentary electors in force on the date on which the notice of the start of the review is published.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the hon. Member for Walsall Norths letter of 26 May 2009 concerning a constituent.

Bridget Prentice: My noble Friend, Lord Bach, replied on 30 June. I apologise for the delay.

Non-molestation Orders

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people applied for a non-molestation order in county courts or the High Court in 2008; and how many were issued.

Jack Straw: The numbers of non-molestation orders applied for and issued during 2008 have not yet been published. Quarterly figures covering 2008 are due to be published on the Ministry of Justice web site shortly.

Offenders: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) male and  (b) female offenders in each age group there were in the (i) Thames Valley and (ii) Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years.

Claire Ward: The number of males and females, by age group, found guilty at all courts, or issued with a caution for all offences in Thames Valley police force area (PFA) can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data held by the Ministry of Justice are not available for the Milton Keynes area.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of males and females by age group, found guilty at all courts( 1, 2)  or issued with a caution( 2, 3, 4)  for all offences in Thames Valley police force area, 2003-07 
			   Males  Females 
			   10 to 17 years  18 years and over  All ages  10 to 17 years  18 years and over  All ages 
			  Found guilty   
			 2003 1,897 34,837 36,734 271 7,631 7,902 
			 2004 1,729 38,039 39,768 257 9,258 9,515 
			 2005 2,291 36,565 38,856 403 9,154 9,557 
			 2006 2,287 32,015 34,302 378 8,073 8,451 
			 2007 2,284 31,134 33,418 420 8,232 8,652 
			
			  Caution   
			 2003 1,983 2,792 4,775 810 948 1,758 
			 2004 2,379 3,519 5,898 1,149 1,196 2,345 
			 2005 3,353 6,410 9,763 1,558 2,016 3,574 
			 2006 2,822 7,177 9,999 1,261 2,150 3,411 
			 2007 2,890 7,286 10,176 1,297 2,069 3,366 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (4) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice.

Official Documents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the Government have not signed the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents.

Michael Wills: The UK Government must be satisfied that their laws are compatible with the provisions of the Convention before they can make any decision to sign and then ratify the Convention.
	On 10 June 2009, the Prime Minister announced that the UK Government intended to reduce the time taken to open official records to the public from 30 to 20 years, and to make two amendments to the exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to ensure that information access arrangements allow essential constitutional relationships and conventions to be preserved. These proposed amendments would have an impact upon our freedom of information legislation and so must first be carefully assessed.
	The UKs freedom of information regime is among the most open and rigorous in the world. It already goes further than the standards of the Convention in a number of areas.

Pleural Plaques

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to announce his decision on compensation for those with pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: We intend to announce our decision and publish a response paper before the summer recess.

Prison Accommodation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken to improve conditions in prisons.

Jack Straw: The National Offender Management Service has a statutory duty to hold all prisoners in decent conditions.
	As part of our commitment to increase the capacity of the prison estate to 96,000 places, we are building new prisons and expanding existing prisons. The new buildings produced by this capacity programme are providing modern accommodation that is fully compliant with relevant standards such as the new safer cell specification.
	In addition, on 27 April I announced that, instead of building three 2,500 place Titan prisons, we plan to build five 1,500 place prisons. Our model will draw on best practice in the existing estate to provide first class regimes that will help offenders address their offending behaviour. The 7,500 places provided by these new prisons will allow for the closure of some of the most worn out places.
	These measures support our aim, not only to provide additional capacity, but to modernise the estate and improve the quality of accommodation.
	For existing accommodation, we have a rolling programme of refurbishment that allows the critical maintenance of the estate to be undertaken.

Probation: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding his Department has allocated to Essex Probation Service for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The grant allocation to Essex probation area for the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Grant allocation  to Essex probation area  (£) 
			 2008-09 20,147,000 
			 2007-08 19,091,000 
			 2006-07 18,322,000 
			 2005-06 16,923,000 
			 2004-05 15,494,000

Probation: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from injury at work was among Probation Service employees in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Sickness absence in Essex probation area and absence due to injury at work over the last five years is detailed in the table. Costs are calculated on average pay and include on-costs:
	
		
			  April to March each year  All of Essex  (days per FTE)  Cost  (£)  Absence due to injury at work and cost 
			 2004-05 12 592,000 0 
			 2005-06 11 569,000 0 
			 2006-07 10 542,000 20 days total £2,500 
			 2007-08 13 717,000 25 days total £2,500 
			 2008-09 8 471,000 12 days total £1,200 
		
	
	There are no staff assigned specifically to the Castle Point area, and therefore only figures for the whole of the county of Essex have been provided.

Reoffenders

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of  (a) persons discharged from prison and  (b) persons on probation supervision with an accredited programme reoffended within two years of release in the last period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The latest statistics on reoffending published in May 2009 report the reoffending rates over a one-year follow up period.
	The following table shows the one-year reoffending rates and frequency per 100 offenders for adult offenders who were discharged from custody or who commenced a community order or suspended sentence order and received an accredited programme requirement under that order, in the first quarter of 2007.
	
		
			   Number of offenders  Proportion of offenders offending (percentage)  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 Custody 12,810 47.2 223.2 
			 Community order (with an accredited programme)(1) 6,930 41.0 141.6 
			 Suspended sentence order (with an accredited programme)(1) 3,328 40.9 133.6 
			 (1) Offenders who received an accredited programme as a requirement under their community or suspended sentence order. This may be the only requirement, or in combination with others. 
		
	
	Further information on the one-year rates of reoffending can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Reoffenders: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the re-offending rate for offenders in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) the Hertfordshire probation area was in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The local reoffending figures are produced by aggregating the data of four snapshots of the probation caseload at the end of each quarter. Therefore the number of offenders quoted in the following table is approximately four times the number of offenders on the caseload at any one time.
	The most recent reoffending rates for Hertfordshire are shown in the following table. Reoffending rates for Hemel Hempstead are not available. This is because local reoffending rates are produced for probation areas and upper tier local authorities only.
	
		
			  Local reoffending rates for Hertfordshire, 1 January to 31 December 2008 
			   Number of offenders  Actual reoffending rate (percentage) 
			 Hertfordshire probation area 10,239 8.71 
		
	
	Local adult reoffending rates by probation area or local authority are not available for periods prior to 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008.
	Further details on local adult reoffending are available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/local-adult-reoffending-2008-ii.pdf

Reoffenders: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the re-offending rate for offenders in  (a) Thames Valley and  (b) Milton Keynes was in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The local reoffending figures are produced by aggregating the data of four snapshots of the probation caseload at the end of each quarter. Therefore the number of offenders quoted in the following table is approximately four times the number of offenders on the caseload at any one time.
	The most recent reoffending rates for Thames Valley probation area and the Milton Keynes local authority area are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local reoffending rates for Thames Valley and Milton Keynes,  1 January to 31 December 2008 
			   Number of offenders  Actual reoffending rate (percentage) 
			 Thames Valley probation area 20,038 9.79 
			 Milton Keynes local authority area 2,842 9.71 
		
	
	Local adult reoffending rates by probation area or local authority are not available for periods prior to 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008. Further details on local adult reoffending are available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/local-adult-reoffending-2008-ii.pdf

Reparation by Offenders

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) monitoring and  (b) research his Department has carried out into the effects of the introduction of high-visibility jackets for offenders on unpaid work.

Maria Eagle: Distinctive clothing in the form of orange high visibility jackets for offenders undertaking Community Payback work was introduced in December 2008 as one of the measures to respond to the recommendations of the report Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime.
	Since its introduction in December 2008, the level of use of this distinctive clothing has been monitored. This monitoring is on a quarterly basis and by the end of March 2009 over 400,000 hours of Community Payback work were undertaken by offenders wearing the distinctive clothing. The figures for the next quarter should be available by the end of July.
	Home Office polling shows that nationally awareness of Community Payback has risen from 49 per cent. in November 2008 to 74 per cent. in April 2009.

Repossession Orders: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Figures for Tamworth constituency are not available. However, the following table shows the number of mortgage and landlord possession orders made in Tamworth county court for 2004-08.
	Statistics on mortgage and landlord possession actions are routinely published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mortgatelandlordpossession.htm
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, geographical boundaries of county courts may not necessarily be consistent with other administrative or constituency boundaries. Repossession orders made at Tamworth county court may therefore relate to properties in other constituencies besides Tamworth constituency.
	The Ministry of Justice published a consultation note on 15 May 2009 covering proposed changes to the national statistics on mortgage and landlord possession actions in the county courts of England and Wales. One of these is to provide geographical breakdowns based on the physical location of the properties subject to the possession actions. The Ministry of Justice intends to make available figures for Westminster parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales upon publication of 2009 Qtr 2 (April to June) statistics on 14 August 2009.
	The consultation note can be viewed on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/stats-mort-landlord-note.pdf
	
		
			  Number of mortgage( 1)  and landlord( 2)  possession orders made( 3,4)  in Tamworth county court, 2004-08 
			   Mortgage  Landlord 
			 2004 172 202 
			 2005 251 189 
			 2006 290 161 
			 2007 301 126 
			 2008 340 154 
			  Notes: 1. Includes all types of mortgage lenders. 2. The landlord data includes all types of landlords whether social or private sector, and cover orders made using both the standard and accelerated possession procedures. The accelerated procedure is used by landlords in relation to shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. It enables orders to be made by the court solely on the basis of written evidence and without calling the parties to hearings. 3. The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. 4. Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced.  Source:  Ministry of Justice

Sentencing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had on the effectiveness of the high-visibility unpaid work community sentence.

Maria Eagle: Unpaid work was introduced as one of the 12 requirements that sentencers can impose as part of a community order by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Community Payback was launched nationally in 2005 with the aim, among other things, of increasing the visibility of the work done and improving public confidence. To increase visibility still further, distinctive clothing in the form of orange high visibility jackets, has been worn by offenders undertaking Community Payback since December 2008. The level of use of this distinctive clothing is being monitored on a quarterly basis and shows that by the end of March 2009 over 400,000 hours of Community Payback had been performed by offenders wearing distinctive clothing. Figures for the next quarter should be available by the end of July.
	Home Office polling shows that nationally awareness of Community Payback has risen from 49 per cent. in November 2008 to 74 per cent. in April 2009.

Terrorism: Prisons

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to paragraph 8.05 of the United Kingdoms Strategy for Countering International Terrorism, published in March 2009, what arrangements have been put in place in prisons within the high security estate in England and Wales for the collection of intelligence relating to prisoners suspected or convicted of terrorist-related activities or extremism.

Jack Straw: The arrangements for gathering intelligence relating to terrorism or extremism in prisons are the same as those for receiving intelligence on any security matter, namely security information reports submitted by prison staff who are already in place carrying out their normal day to day duties.
	High security establishments have staff within their security departments whose role it is to monitor and assess intelligence that has been received relating to terrorism and extremism.

CABINET OFFICE

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) men and  (b) women aged  (a) under 20,  (b) between 21 and 30,  (c) between 31 and 40,  (d) between 41 and 50,  (e) between 51 and 60 and  (f) 61 years and above died from an underlying cause which was alcohol-related in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many  (a) men and  (b) women aged  (a) under 20,  (b) between 21 and 30,  (c) between 31 and 40,  (d) between 41 and 50,  (e) between 51 and 60 and  (f) 61 years and above died from an underlying cause which was alcohol-related in each of the last 10 years. (284844)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause for  (a) men and  (b) women aged (i) under 21,(1) (ii) 21 - 30, (Hi) 31 - 40, (iv) 41 - 50, (v) 51 - 60 and (vi) 61 years and over, in England and Wales, from 1999 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	(1) The specified age group under 20 has been amended to 20 and under' so as not to exclude deaths at age 20 from the table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause( 1) , England and Wales( 2) , 1999 to 2008( 3,4) 
			Deaths 
			1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Males Under 21 5 6 13 2 7 5 9 3 2 8 
			  21-30 51 54 63 69 58 57 59 65 66 72 
			  31-40 354 339 403 409 441 392 379 410 412 477 
			  41-50 834 865 961 946 1,048 1,021 1,034 1,112 1,087 1,141 
			  51-60 980 1,023 1,134 1,117 1,291 1,287 1,363 1404 1452 1471 
			  61+ 1,161 1,166 1,268 1,334 1,413 1,458 1,524 1,562 1,559 1,671 
			  Females Under 21 5 2 1 0 3 2 2 1 2 0 
			  21-30 23 36 26 25 34 28 28 35 42 25 
			  31-40 199 194 182 175 207 206 201 219 212 207 
			  41-50 442 411 486 516 466 505 523 566 548 551 
			  51-60 482 516 541 522 591 628 636 658 688 712 
			  61+ 751 794 815 851 865 899 865 929 971 1,006 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1999 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the boxes below. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Figures for deaths registered in 2008 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305.0 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571.0 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of Over without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic nonalcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic Over disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2. Alcohol-related causes of death International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 142.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl.K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Cannabis: Death

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cannabis-related deaths there were in  (a) Crosby constituency and  (b) Merseyside in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many cannabis-related deaths there were in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) Merseyside in the last 12 months. (284945)
	There were no deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning(1) and cannabis was mentioned alone or with other substances on the death certificate in (a) Crosby constituency,( 2) in 2007(3) (the latest year available).
	There were no deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning(1) and cannabis alone was mentioned on the death certificate, and two deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning(1) and cannabis was mentioned together with other substances on the death certificate in (b) Merseyside metropolitan county,(2) in 2007(3) (the latest year available).
	(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD- 10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in the box below), and where cannabis was mentioned on the death certificate.
	(2 )Based on boundaries as of 2009.
	(3 )Figures are for deaths registered in 2007.
	
		
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent Y10-Y14

Charity Commission: Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many requests for communications data were made by the Charity Commission to communication service providers (CSPs) under the Charities Act 1993 in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2002,  (d) 2003,  (e) 2004,  (f) 2005,  (g) 2006,  (h) 2007 and  (i) 2008; and how many of these requests resulted in the requested communications data being disclosed by the relevant CSP.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, dated July 2009:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on requests for communications data made by the Charity Commission to communication service providers under the Charities Act 1993.
	Section 9 of the Charities Act (1993) provides the Charity Commission with the power to require anyone who has information which is relevant to the discharge of any of the Commissions functions to provide us with that information. This power extends to relevant documents. The Charity Commission also has a specific power, when we are conducting an inquiry, to require the production of accounts, statements in writing, written answers to questions, and copy documents from anyone who is able to provide them (section 8 of the Charities Act).
	To date the Commission has not kept statistics on the use of these powers to obtain communications data from communication service providers. However, since the enactment of the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act (RIPA) in 2000, it has been the general practice for regulators, such as the Charity Commission, and communications service providers to exchange information under RIPA requirements. Since 2000, the Charity Commission has used the RIPA to obtain communications data eight times:
	(a) 2000 nil
	(b) 2001 nil
	(c) 2002 nil
	(d) 2003 nil
	(e) 2004 2 times
	(f) 2005 3 times
	(g) 2006 nil
	(h) 2007 3 times
	(i) 2008 nil
	On all of these occasions the requests for communications data was acceded to by the service provider.
	In all cases the information obtained was used to progress our statutory investigations. We only use these powers when absolutely necessary and in the most serious of cases. Their use is always authorised at a senior level within the Commission.
	I hope this is helpful. A senior member of the Commissions Compliance team would be very happy to discuss this aspect of our work with you if that would be useful.

Children

Mark Fisher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the latest estimate is of the number of children in a household in which no adult is in work in  (a) the UK and  (b) Stoke-on-Trent.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the latest estimate is of the number of children in a household in which no adults work in a) the UK and b) Stoke-on-Trent. (283099)
	Information at local authority level comes from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset. Estimates for January to December 2007 are shown in the attached table. Information for the UK is also provided from the same dataset for consistency purposes.
	Figures for children in households are based on children aged under 16 years old living in working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. A guide to the quality of the estimates is included in the table.
	
		
			  Number of children( 1)  in workless( 2)  households in Stoke-on-Trent and United Kingdom, January to December 2007 
			  Thousands 
			   Estimate  Lower bound( 3)  Upper bound( 3) 
			 UK 1,759 1,709 1,810 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 11 8 14 
			 (1 )Children under 16. (2 )Workless household is a working-age household where no one aged 16 or over is working. (3 )95 per cent. confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent. certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.  Source:  Annual Population Survey Household data sets.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1446-47W, on civil servants: pensions, 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the Hewitt Associates advice on withdrawal from with-profit funds;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by the Cabinet Office to members of the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme; and what alternative funds are proposed in place of with-profits funds;
	(3)  for what reasons the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme is withdrawing from with-profits funds.

Angela Smith: Copies of the letters sent, in November 2007, to civil servants investing in the with-profits funds offered, as part of the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme by (a) Scottish Widows and (b) Standard Life, have been placed in the Library of the House. These incorporate advice from Hewitt Associates Financial Services Limited.

Death: Cannabis

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cannabis-related deaths there were in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency,  (b) Dacorum and  (c) Hertfordshire in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many cannabis-related deaths there were in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency,  (b) Dacorum and  (c) Hertfordshire in the last 12 months (285135).
	There were no deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning(1) and cannabis was mentioned on the death certificate, in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency,  (b) Dacorum local authority district or  (c) Hertfordshire county, registered in 2007(2) (the latest year available).
	(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in the box below), and where cannabis was mentioned on die death certificate.
	(2) Based on boundaries as of 2009.
	
		
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 codecs) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent Y10-Y14

Life Expectancy

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the life expectancy of  (a) women and  (b) men in England in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009 :
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the life expectancy of (a) women and (b) men in England in each of the last 10 years. (284747)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three year rolling averages. The table below provides the period life expectancy at birth for (a) women and (b) men in England, for 1996-98 to 2005-07 (the latest figures available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Period life expectancy at birth( 1) , England, 1996-98 to 2005-07( 2) 
			   Y ears of life 
			   Females  Males 
			 1996-98 80 75 
			 1997-99 80 75 
			 1998-2000 80 75 
			 1999-2001 80 76 
			 2000-02 81 76 
			 2001-03 81 76 
			 2002-04 81 77 
			 2003-05 81 77 
			 2004-06 82 77 
			 2005-07 82 78 
			 (1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the areas age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in die area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. (2) Three year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Teenage Pregnancy

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the conception rate among women under the age of 18 years was in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the conception rate among women under the age of 18 years was in each of the last five years. (284761)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the rate of conceptions among women aged under the age of 18 for England and Wales for 2003 to 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Rate of conceptions among women aged under 18( 1) , England and Wales, 2003 to 2007 
			   Rate per 1.000( 2) 
			   Conceptions 
			 2003 42.4 
			 2004 41.8 
			 2005 41.4 
			 2006 40.9 
			 2007(3) 41.9 
			 (1) Under 18 years at estimated date of conception. (2) Number of conceptions to women under 18 per 1,000 female population aged 15-17. (3) Figures for 2007 are provisional.

Third Sector

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the 2002 cross-cutting review on the voluntary and community sector conducted by HM Treasury; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: In June 2005, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report assessing the Governments progress in implementing the 2002 cross-cutting review on the voluntary and community sector conducted by HM Treasury. The report found that the recommendations of the cross-cutting review had been addressed but outlined 12 further recommendations. All of these have been taken forward via the subsequent creation of the Office of the Third Sector and in the 2007 Third Sector Review.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Prime Minister plans to attend the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

David Kidney: It is a decision for the Danish Government, as hosts of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, whether Heads of Government will be invited to attend. Currently there are no plans for Heads of Government to do so. The UK Delegation to the conference will be led by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which  (a) sections of his Department and  (b) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009 pay offers to staff.

David Kidney: The information is as follows:
	 (a) DECC has not made an application for money saved from efficiency savings to be used to increase pay in the 2009 pay offer to staff.
	 (b) Nor has any of the non-departmental public bodies for which the Department has responsibility.

Energy Supply

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Board of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority has taken to protect consumers.

David Kidney: The Gas and Electricity Markets Authority [GEMA] has, as its principal objective, the protection of the interests of present and future consumers. It governs the independent gas and electricity regulatory body, Ofgem. I have, therefore, asked Lord Mogg, GEMA chairman, to reply direct to the hon. Members question.

Energy: Housing

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of contribution of changes in household energy use towards achievement of UK carbon dioxide emission reduction targets for  (a) 2020 and  (b) 2050.

David Kidney: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The most recent published update to our energy and carbon dioxide emission projections, made in November 2008, estimated that the policies and measures in the 2007 Energy White Paper and the 2006 UK Climate Change Programme would result in carbon savings from the residential sector in the year 2020 of about 46 Mt CO2. This was out of a total level of carbon savings of around 119 Mt CO2 equivalent, which these policy packages were predicted to deliver across all sectors of the UK economy.
	 (b) It is clear that improving the energy efficiency of our homes and appliances will continue to play a vital role in meeting our emissions reductions targets out to 2050 and beyond. We will be describing this in more detail in the White Paper on Energy and Climate Change scheduled for publication in July.

Energy: Prices

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings Ofgem has had with  (a) energy suppliers and  (b) consumer groups and representatives on its Energy Supply Probe since 2008.

David Kidney: Since Ofgem announced the Energy Supply Probe in February 2008 it has met with a wide range of stakeholders on numerous occasions to hear their views. These stakeholders include representatives from the major energy suppliers, other smaller suppliers, consumer groups and a range of other interested parties.
	Ofgem has also conducted two formal consultation exercises following draft proposals made in October 2008 and April 2009.

Nuclear Power Stations: Accidents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contingency plans are in place to deal with serious nuclear incidents.

Joan Ruddock: All nuclear installations in the UK have detailed emergency plans in order to respond to an accident or emergency that could occur on the site. The on and off-site plans are tested on a regular basis. Testing of the emergency plans is assessed by teams of inspectors from the Health and Safety Executives nuclear installations inspectorate. Annually, one of the nuclear licensed site off-site emergency plans is chosen to test not only the regional response to an emergency but also test the wider arrangements to involve central Government, including the exercising of the various Government Departments and agencies.

Nuclear Power Stations: Inspections

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how frequently inspections are made of the cooling ponds used to store nuclear fuel rods at each location in the UK.

David Kidney: The nuclear installations inspectorate (NII) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) monitors and reviews the effectiveness of the licensees activities and compliance with safety requirements on nuclear licensed sites including the routine inspection of activities related to the fuel route which includes fuel ponds. Additionally, the Environment Agencies in England and Wales and Scotland inspect facilities to ensure compliance with the relevant environment legislation.
	The frequency of future inspections is adjusted according to the outcome of the findings of the inspectors from the HSE and the Environment Agencies.

Ofgem: Complaints

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) interim and  (b) final audit report complied by PKF for Ofgem on complaint handling.

David Kidney: On 30 June 2009 Ofgem published final audit reports from PKF on complaint handling by  (a) the main six suppliers and  (b) smaller suppliers. Copies of both of these reports have been placed in the House of Commons Library. An interim report was not produced by PKF as part of this process.

Ofgem: Complaints

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what terms of reference were given to PKF in respect of its work for Ofgem on complaints handling; and what fees were paid to the company for that work.

David Kidney: The fees paid to PKF in respect of its work for Ofgem on complaints handling, amounted to £93,378.24 (exclusive of VAT). A copy of the Terms of Reference given to PKF have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Ofgem: Opinion Leader Research

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much Ofgem has paid to Opinion Leader Research  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) in 2009-10 to date.

David Kidney: Ofgem paid the following amounts exclusive of VAT to Opinion Leader Research in the five years prior to 2009-10:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 46,699 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2004-05 0 
		
	
	During 2009-10, Ofgem has to date paid £60,775.02 exclusive of VAT to Opinion Leader Research.

Ofgem: Opinion Leader Research

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what process was used to select Opinion Leader Research to conduct work on Ofgem's Consumer First Panel.

David Kidney: The Consumer First Panel was competitively tendered under Ofgems framework for market research services and was compliant with Official Journal of the European Union regulations and processes.

Ofgem: Public Consultation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments Ofgem has made to the members of its  (a) Consumer Challenge Panel and  (b) Consumer First Panel in the last 12 months.

David Kidney: In the last 12 months, Ofgem has made payments totalling £29,384.80 (exclusive of VAT) to members of its Consumer Challenge Panel.
	Members of the Consumer First Panel are entitled to a payment of £50 per meeting attended. Payments are made by Opinion Leader Research as part of its contract with Ofgem. During the last 12 months, there have been three panel meetings held. The attendance at those meetings was 99, 90 and 83 respectively.

Renewable Energy: Manufacturing Industries

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of heat derived from renewable sources  (a) generated and  (b) consumed by each industrial sector in each year since 2005.

David Kidney: holding answer 29 June 2009
	 The Government collect statistics on renewable heat generation in total (c.f. Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2008, table 7.6 renewable sources used to generate electricity and heat and for transport fuels) but these figures are not broken down across industrial sectors. This table shows that the total amount of renewable heat generated across the UK economy was 8.48 TWh in 2007 (most recent year available), 7.51 TWh in 2006 and 6.97 TWh in 2005.
	Renewable heat is also produced by combined heat and power (CHP) plants that use renewable fuels, and the data on theseon a whole-economy basisare presented in table 6.6 of DUKES. This shows that in 2007 out of a total of 53,050 GWh of heat generated by CHP plants in the UK 992 GWh came from those using renewable fuels i.e. almost 2 per cent. A significant percentage of these plants will be within the industrial sector.
	The September 2008 edition of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reforms Energy Trends publication had a special feature Estimates of Heat Use in the UK focusing on 2006. The figure for heat consumption by manufacturing industry(1) for that year was given (table 4) as 216 TWh [or 18,577 ktoe(2)], and it was noted that this did not include 2.3 TWh [198 ktoe] of renewable fuels (predominantly used for renewable heat). This would equate (assuming 100 per cent. heat use) to around 1.0 per cent. of total heat demand for this sector being met from renewable sources.
	(1) The definition of manufacturing industry used did not include mining and quarrying, recycling, the collection, purification and distribution of water, and construction.
	(2) Kilotonnes of oil equivalent. DUKES uses this unit; 1 tonne oil equivalent = 11.63 MWh.

Sizewell A Power Station

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of repairing the coolant leak discovered at Sizewell A on 7 June 2007.

David Kidney: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007 as I am not aware of such an incident at Sizewell A on the 7 June 2007.
	The cost of the repair of the coolant leak is a matter for the operating company.

Sizewell A Power Station

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his predecessor Department was informed about the coolant leak at Sizewell A discovered on 7 June 2007; and what steps Ministers took following receipt of the information.

David Kidney: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007 as I am not aware of such an incident at the site on 7 June 2007.
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was informed of the incident on 7 January 2007 by the operators and the regulators. Any further action is a matter for the independent regulators.

Sizewell A Power Station

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his predecessor Department had with the  (a) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and  (b) Environment Agency as a result of the discovery of a coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 June 2007.

David Kidney: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007, as I am not aware of such an incident at the site on 7 June 2009.
	The arrangements in place for reporting events on nuclear licensed sites in the UK are well established. The information received by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) from the licensee is distributed according to the significance of the event. In this instance relevant Government Departments were alerted through the normal reporting arrangements. NII had no formal discussions with DTI or BERR about the event, but maintained regular contact at official level. Throughout its investigations NII kept the Environment Agency informed of progress.
	The Environment Agency (EA) had no formal discussions with DEFRA concerning the incident though at official level there was regular contact.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who presented at accident and emergency departments were not subsequently admitted to hospital in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect information in the format requested.
	However, the Department does collect data on the number of accident and emergency (AE) attendances and the number of admissions to hospital wards via an AE unit. Data on both of these are presented in the following table, for years in which figures are available.(1)
	(1) The criteria for calculating attendance and admissions numbers have varied slightly over the period covered by the table.
	
		
			   First attendances  Admissions via AE  Those attending AE not subsequently admitted 
			 1997-98 12,793,720 1,847,521 10,946,199 
			 1998-99 12,811,064 1,955,969 10,855,095 
			 1999-2000 13,167,495 2,035,119 11,132,376 
			 2000-01 12,953,432 2,105,021 10,848,411 
			 2001-02 12,900,727 2,224,833 10,675,894 
			 2002-03 13,253,405 2,288,053 10,965,352 
			 2003-04 15,312,738 2,467,748 12,844,990 
			 2004-05 16,711,750 2,813,368 13,898,382 
			 2005-06 17,775,225 2,951,076 14,824,149 
			 2006-07 18,010,506 3,037,131 14,973,375 
			 2007-08 18,302,138 3,087,020 15,215,118 
			 2008-09 18,820,828 3,266,603 15,554,225 
			  Note: To note also that data on the number of attendances at AE type 1 departments are available and published quarterly via the Department of Health's Quarterly Monitoring AE Services dataset. This includes patients who attended AE but who were not subsequently treated and counts each attendance by the same patient separately.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times stomach pumping was used in NHS hospitals for the treatment of excessive alcohol consumption in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Data on stomach pumping for the treatment of excessive alcohol consumption are not collected centrally.

Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new specialist training posts for allergy specialists will take effect in August 2009.

Ann Keen: There are no newly created specialist training posts for allergy specialists taking effect in August 2009. The number of posts advertised in open recruitment in England for entry into allergy in the current recruitment round is two.

Back Pain

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have received NHS treatment for back problems in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information requested on the number of people treated with back problems in the national health service is not collected centrally as back pain sufferers are normally treated in a primary care environment. The Hospital Episode Statistics data are able to give information on hospital admissions only, where clinical codes exist.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission services for people with back problems to meet the needs of their local population. The Department is supporting commissioning through the recent publication of an 18-week pathway for the management and treatment of back pain and treatments. NHS Choices has also provided information that will raise awareness of back pain and treatments.

Complementary Medicine

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which complementary therapies are provided through the NHS.

Gillian Merron: Decisions about what services, including complementary therapies, to commission or fund are the responsibility of the national health service. Primary care trusts will often have their own policies on this, based on available evidence of safety, efficacy and relevant National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations. The Department does not maintain a position on any type of complementary or alternative medicine treatment.

Dental Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage dentists who provide NHS services to take on additional NHS patients.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to assess the local demand for national health service dentistry, and commission appropriate services to meet it.
	All 10 strategic health authorities have set themselves the aim of providing access to NHS dentistry for all who seek it by March 2011 at the latest. We are supporting PCTs to meet this aim with extra resourcesan 11 per cent. uplift in our dental funding allocations for 2008-09, and a further 8.5 per cent. uplift in total funds for 2009-10, which takes the total available for dental allocations to £2,257 million (net of patient charge income).
	We have also set up an expanded national dental access programme, headed by Dr. Mike Warburton an experienced clinician and manager, to support managers and clinicians to rapidly expand services where needed.
	NHS dental service in England: An independent review led by Professor Jimmy Steele, published on 22 June recommends a series of further actions to support access and quality, including how to structure the dental contract to further support dentists to take on new patients. Piloting of the recommendations will begin from this autumn. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_101137

Dental Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effect on the level of demand for NHS dental services of the economic downturn.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to assess local demand for national health services dental services, taking into account all factors which are likely to affect this, and commission the appropriate services.
	All 10 strategic health authorities have set themselves the aim of providing access to NHS dentistry for all who seek it by March 2011 at the latest. We are supporting PCTs to meet this aim with extra resourcesan 11 per cent. uplift in our dental funding allocations for 2008-09, and a further 8.5 per cent. uplift in total funds for 2009-10, which takes the total available for dental allocations to £2,257 million (net of patient charge income).
	We have also set up an expanded national dental access programme, headed by Dr. Mike Warburton an experienced clinician and manager, to support managers and clinicians to rapidly expand services where needed. New practices are opening regularly as a result of the new funding and focus. NHS dental services are expanding and therefore in a strong position to meet any extra demand that may result from the economic downturn.
	NHS dental service in England: An independent review led by Professor Jimmy Steele, published on 22 June recommends a series of further actions to support access and quality. Piloting of the recommendations will begin from this autumn. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_101137

Doctors: Entry Clearances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-EU doctors were granted entry to work in the NHS  (a) through the points-based immigration system and  (b) under other systems in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the doctors in the NHS were non-EU doctors in each such year.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect these data centrally.

Drugs: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided to people resident in Hemel Hempstead by the National Treatment Agency in each of the last five years; and how much has been allocated in the next two years.

Gillian Merron: The Government provide specific resources for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB), administered by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, which combined with local mainstream funding results in substantial investment in local drug treatment funding.
	The PTB is allocated to local drug partnerships and figures for the Hertfordshire Drug and Alcohol Team are as follows:
	
		
			   Funding (£) 
			 2005-06 4,120,026 
			 2006-07 4,933,918 
			 2007-08 5,025,733 
			 2008-09 4,961,579 
			 2009-10 4,976,990 
		
	
	The projected PTB allocation for 2010-11 is £4,704,952. However, the exact allocation is dependent on partnership performance and will not be confirmed until January 2010. Figures for 2011-12 are not yet available.
	Until 2008-09 PTB was allocated against a basket of indicators of social and economic deprivation known to reflect drug use as the best available proxy of treatment need.
	Differences in performance between drug partnerships in getting people into treatment were resulting in unjustifiable variations in the size of the central contribution to the costs of each persons treatment.
	2009-10 is the second year of a process which seeks to produce a fairer allocation system which more accurately matches need, activity and resources.
	The new process is based on three elements:
	25 per cent. of the allocation is based on the indicators underpinning the previous formula to reflect the differential cost of responding to different levels of complex need such as homelessness, mental heath, family breakdown and unemployment;
	75 per cent. is based on activity in the treatment system with areas being allocated a set amount per person treated effectively; and
	The final element is an area cost adjustment figure to reflect the varying costs of delivering services in different parts of the country.
	To promote an orderly alteration to service planning, the change is being introduced over three years.

Hearing Impaired: Sight Impaired

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many communicator-guides there were  (a) in 1997 and  (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many deafblind people there were in England  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care does not collect information centrally about the numbers of communicator guides.
	In 2001 guidance was issued to councils regarding the recording of deafblind registration. Where a person had a number of additional disabilities including deaf or hard of hearing, councils were advised to count these under the category of deaf and hard of hearing. Therefore in 1997, there may have been some people with multiple disabilities who may have been categorised as having a mental illness, learning or physical disabilities rather than in the categories deaf or hard of hearing.
	Registration of blindness is voluntary and so the registers cannot be thought of as providing a definitive number of blind and partially sighted people. In addition, issuing of guidance such as that mentioned above may impact on the numbers and therefore, figures for 2003 (first collection after the guidance was issued) have also been provided in the following tables.
	The following tables show the total number of people in England registered as blind or partially sighted who also have an additional hearing related disability.
	
		
			  Number of people registered blind who also have a hearing impairment, as at 31 March 1997, 2003 and 2008, England( 1) 
			  Rounded numbers with additional disability of 
			O f which :  
			   Deaf  with speech  without speech  Hard of hearing 
			 1997 1,010 280 735 2,835 
			 2003 2,825 (2)n/a (2)n/a 5,640 
			 2008 3,565 2,830 735 8,685 
			 (1) Estimates have not been made where a council has not been able to provide the information separately for those with an additional disability, therefore the table contains the total only from those councils from which returns were received. (2) Data not available.  Notes: 1. Figures for 1997 are based on actual returns received from 85 councils out of 119. Figures for 2003 are based on actual returns received from 131 councils out of 150. Figures for 2008 are based on actual returns received from 149 councils out of 150. 2. Data rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: SSDA 902 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of people registered partially sighted who also have a hearing impairment, as at 31 March 1997, 2003 and 2008, England( 1) 
			  R ounded numbers with additional disability of 
			Of  which :  
			   Deaf  with speech  without speech  Hard of  h earing 
			 1997 (2)n/a (2)n/a (2)n/a (2)n/a 
			 2003 1,830 (2)n/a (2)n/a 5,205 
			 2008 3,710 2,205 1,505 9,315 
			 (1) Estimates have not been made where a council has not been able to provide the information separately for those with an additional disability, therefore the table contains the total only from those councils from which returns were received. (2) Data not available.  Notes: 1. Figures for 2003 are based on actual returns received from 127 councils out of 150. Figures for 2008 are based on actual returns received from 149 councils out of 150. 2. Data rounded to the nearest 5.  Source:  SSDA 902

Hospital Beds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many level  (a) three,  (b) two and  (c) one care beds there were in hospitals for (i) adults, (ii) children and (iii) neo-natal patients in England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many hospitals in England have established  (a) adult,  (b) child and  (c) neo-natal intensive care units in each year since 1997;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of critical care beds provided by NHS trusts in England.

Mike O'Brien: Information is not held centrally regarding the opening or closing of units or of intensive care units (ICUs) that merge with high dependency units (HDUs) to form combined units.
	This is a matter for local determination in the light of changing service patterns, elective and emergency case mix and anticipated activity.
	The number of ICU level 3 beds for adults, children and neonates from 1997 and HDU level 2 for adults beds since 1999 is shown in tables which have been placed in the Library. Data on level 1 beds, and data on level 2 beds for children and neonates are not collected centrally.

Hospital Wards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) general and  (b) specialist wards were in use according to data from Estates Return Information collection returns for each NHS organisation in each reporting year since 1997, specifying the organisation code in each case.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the precise format requested.
	Since 2002-03, the Department has collected annual data from national health service trusts on the average total number of general and specialist wards in use over the reporting year, through the Estates Returns Information Collection. The available data for each year since 2002-03 have been placed in the Library.
	The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and had not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

Intensive Care: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) consultants in intensive care medicine and  (b) specialist intensive care nurses were working in the NHS in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Neither intensive care unit (ICU) nurses or ICU consultants are separately identified within the NHS Workforce Census and therefore this information is not collected centrally.

Kidneys: Injuries

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a code of practice on the identification and auditing of the incidence and outcomes associated with acute kidney injury.

Ann Keen: We have received the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report. The National Clinical Director for Kidney Care, Dr. Donal O'Donoghue, is working with stakeholders to develop an action plan for acute kidney injury.

Lung Cancer

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for lung cancer in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) Leeds Metropolitan area,  (c) Yorkshire and Humberside and  (d) England in each year since 2001.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available centrally.

Lung Cancer

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what further steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of treatment to those who have been diagnosed with or treated for lung cancer; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of support provided to those affected by lung cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of erlotinib for the treatment of lung cancer. NICE is also currently preparing guidance on the use of pemetrexed, topotecan and vandetanib for the treatment of lung cancer as well as further guidance on the use of erlotinib.
	In 2005, NICE issued clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, which addressed supportive and palliative care for lung cancer patients. An updated version of the guidelines is due to be published in 2011. These guidelines complement the guidance on Improving Outcomes in Lung Cancer, published in 1998, which has since been fully implemented across the national health service.
	Alongside NICES work programme on lung cancer, the Department will shortly be reconvening the Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma Advisory Group (LCAMAG) to further advise the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, and the department on the development and delivery of high quality services for lung cancer patients in England.
	In addition, the National Lung Cancer Audit, part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcome Programme, helps clinicians improve the quality and outcomes of lung cancer services. It provides comparative data about the incidence, nature and treatment of lung cancer, with the aim of improving patient care and outcomes.

Lung Cancer

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for lung cancer in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency,  (b) Dacorum,  (c) Hemel Hempstead,  (d) the South East of England and  (e) England in each year since 2001.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available centrally.

Medical Treatments: Radioactive Materials

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to secure an adequate supply of medical isotopes.

Mike O'Brien: The radioisotope supply shortage is a worldwide problem. There are only five reactors worldwide, none of which are located within the United Kingdom, that produce molybdenum-99. Molybdenum-99 is the base material used by UK sites to produce technetium-99m which in turn is used for most nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
	The Department is working with key stakeholders such as the Health Protection Agency (HPA), British Nuclear Medicine Society and national health service hospitals to find short and long-term solutions to the shortage. The NHS is embracing the adaptations needed to continue to provide patient care including, maximising activity to fit in with the supply of radioisotopes and undertaking alternative procedures where possible.
	In addition, the Department is taking a number of proactive steps in securing adequate supply of medical isotopes both in the short and long-term.
	The Department is communicating with the three suppliers of molybdenum-99 and technetium-99m to the UK market to ensure that we maximise patient access during this time of limited supply.
	Through its work with the HPA, the Department has asked the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee to provide the Department with advice on sustainable service delivery models for nuclear medicine examinations using different isotopes and scanning systems and provide advice on the future requirements for technetium-99m imaging to inform discussions on the longer term supply options.

Mental Health: Young Offenders

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) 12,  (b) 13,  (c) 14,  (d) 15,  (e) 16,  (f) 17,  (g) 18 and  (h) 19-year-olds in each young offenders institution have been diagnosed with mental health problems as a result of their detention.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected by the Department, or central Government.

Mentally Incapacitated: Community Treatment

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1228W, on the mentally incapacitated: community treatment, how many second opinions for treatment under supervised community treatment have been  (a) requested and  (b) provided under the Mental Health Act 1983 since 1 April 2009.

Phil Hope: The Care Quality Commission received 1,195 second opinion requests in the period 1 April 2009 to 30 June 2009 for patients subject to supervised community treatment, 64 of which have subsequently been withdrawn. As of 1 July 2009, 242 of the second opinion requests received in that period were recorded as having had all action completed.
	As of 1 July 2009, 527 second opinion visits for patients subject to supervised community treatment were recorded as having all action completed in the period 1 April 2009 to 30 June 2009. Some of those 527 visits will relate to second opinion requests received prior to 1 April 2009.
	As of 1 July 2009, the overall number of second opinion requests received for patients subject to supervised community treatment for the period 3 November 2008 to 30 June 2009 was 2,868, 267 of which were subsequently withdrawn. Of the second opinion requests received in that period, 1,393 were recorded as having had all action completed.
	Information on the number of second opinions given but not yet recorded as completed is not available. The figures will change as further information is received.

Mentally Incapacitated: Community Treatment

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects information to be available on the number of community treatment orders (CTOs) that have been  (a) issued and  (b) revoked under the Mental Health Act 1993; and how many patients have been (i) recalled to hospital while on a CTO and (ii) discharged from a CTO in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: Information on these subjects is being collected in England by the NHS Information Centre by means of the mental health minimum dataset and central statistical return KP90 (admissions, changes in status and detentions under the Mental Health Act). It is expected that information for the year 2008-09 will be published in November 2009.

NHS: Accountancy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009,  Official Report, column 109W, on NHS: accountancy, what progress has been made in establishing the likely effects on the revenue of NHS organisations of the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards from April 2009.

Mike O'Brien: National health service organisations have prepared their 2009-10 financial plans on an International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) basis. The Department has established that the main effects on the revenue of NHS organisations arising from the adoption of IFRS relates to the accounting for private finance initiative and accounting for local improvement finance trust schemes and the accounting treatment of lease arrangements.
	We are currently considering the Treasury Consolidated Budgeting Guidance published in June 2009, which deals with aspects of IFRS accounting, to determine how it should be applied to NHS organisations. We are also in discussion with the Audit Commission around the likely affect on the revenue of NHS organisations.

NHS: Assets

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) gross internal floor area,  (b) unoccupied internal floor area and  (c) non-patient occupied internal floor area was, according to data from Estates Return Information Collection returns, for each NHS organisation in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the precise format requested.
	Since 2000-01, the Department has collected annual data on internal floor areas from national health service trusts through the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC). Data collection on each NHS organisations gross internal floor area and unoccupied internal floor area first began in 2000-01, with non-patient occupied floor area beginning in 2002-03.
	The available data for each year since 2000-01 have been placed in the Library.
	The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and had not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

NHS: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the NHS staff-to-patient ratio was in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the NHS Chief Executive's Annual Report for 2008-09, whether the £15 to £20 billion in efficiency savings the NHS is expected to plan for in the financial years 2011-12 to 2013-14 will be made available for expenditure in the NHS;
	(2)  what baseline for spending is being used against which to measure the £15 to £20 billion of efficiency savings for which the NHS is being asked to plan between the financial years 2011-12 and 2013-14; and what plans have been made for achieving such savings in each  (a) financial year and  (b) NHS organisation.

Mike O'Brien: Decisions on funding and investment will be made as part of the next spending review. The baseline for efficiency savings in the next spending review period will be 2010-11.

NHS: Manpower

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the NHS staff-to-patient ratio was in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS institutions were assessed by the Healthcare Commission as being  (a) compliant and  (b) non-compliant with the Standards for Better Health Core Standard C4c in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: The information is contained in the complete data set of unvalidated core standard declarations for 2008-09 that the Care Quality Commission made available on 18 June 2009; a copy has been placed in the Library. The Care Quality Commission will publish final validated declaration results alongside the annual health check results in October 2009.

Nutrition

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nutritionists  (a) have been employed by the NHS in each year since 1997 and  (b) were employed by each NHS organisation in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Nutritionists are not separately identified within the NHS workforce census and therefore this information is not collected centrally.
	Workforce planning, including training, in the national health service is managed and led at a local level by the strategic health authorities (SHAs) taking into account the national policy direction.
	Local NHS organisations are best placed to determine the levels of service and resource required to meet the health needs of the local population.

Osteoporosis: Health Education

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to inform  (a) members of the public and  (b) health professionals about (i) osteoporosis, (ii) bone health and (iii) fragility fractures in the last three years.

Phil Hope: The NHS Choices website provides advice on osteoporosis, bone health and fragility fractures, suitable for the general public and those newly diagnosed with osteoporosis, at:
	www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
	More detailed information, suitable for health professionals, is available on the NHS Evidence website at:
	www.evidence.nhs.uk/Search.aspx?t=osteoporosis

Social Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1434W, on social services, for what reason his Department did not publish the Green Paper on care and support reform in June 2009.

Phil Hope: Reforming the care and support system is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us all to help create a care and support system capable of supporting people well into the 21st century so it is important that we take the time to get this right. However, the Green Paper will be published shortly.

Solihull Hospital: Maternity Services

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) high-risk,  (b) complicated and  (c) premature births occurred at Solihull Hospital in the last 12 months; and what proportion of all births at the hospital each category represented in that period.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Solihull hospital is part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. Information on the number and percentage of deliveries at this organisation for 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of deliveries where the gestation length at the time of delivery was between 0-36 weeks (premature), 37+ weeks or unknown at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (*RR1-X) in 2007-08 
			  National health service hospitals, England  Number  Percentage 
			 Total deliveries at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 10,753 100 
			 Deliveries that occurred between 0-36 weeks of gestation (premature) 178 1.7 
			 Deliveries that occurred 37+ weeks of gestation 2,445 22.7 
			 Deliveries with an unknown length of gestation recorded 8,130 75.6 
			  Notes: 1. The high proportion of deliveries with an unknown length of gestation recorded needs to be taken into account when interpreting the rates of deliveries for each gestation group. 2.  Length of gestation: This field shows the number of completed weeks of gestation according to the World Health Organisation definition, which specifies time from the first day of the last menstrual period. If this date is not reliable, an estimate is provided. This item appears for each baby on multiple birth delivery records; 0-36 weeks premature birth; 37+ weeks (includes post term births); and unknown. 3.  Finished consultant episode (FCE): An FCE is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. However, the figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Maternity events taking place in either NHS hospitals or in non-NHS hospitals funded by the NHS will be recorded as ordinary delivery or birth episodes. Other delivery events are delivery events other than those resulting in delivery or birth episodes under NHS funding or in any other facility supplied under a service agreement with the NHS. 4.  Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 5.  Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 6.  Hospital providers: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. NHS trust or PCT). Hospital providers can also include treatment centres (TC). TCs (also known as diagnostic centres) provide elective (planned) surgery for a range of conditions, mainly for day surgery or short-term hospital stay patients. Some TCs are attached to hospital trusts and HES enables data for these to be separately identified from the rest of the health care providers data. It does this by adding TC to the trust code; if there is more than one per trust, T1, T2, T3 etc. are suggested unless already in use by the trust. Activity performed in the remainder of the trust is identified by the health care provider code being followed by an X.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Swine Flu

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Statement of 12 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1052-63, on swine flu update, with which companies his Department holds advance purchase agreements for pandemic-specific vaccines; how much he expects to be spent on these vaccines; and from which budget funds for such expenditure will be drawn in the next 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The advance purchase agreements are with Glaxo Smith Kline and Baxter. The costs of the advance purchase agreements are £155.4 million over four years. Vaccine costs are commercial in confidence. Expenditure on dealing with swine flu will be met from within existing departmental budgets.

Swine Flu

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many swine flu information leaflets have been  (a) printed and  (b) distributed; and how much his Department has spent on their printing and distribution to date.

Gillian Merron: The Department has:
	produced around 31.6 million swine flu information leaflets, including foreign language translations and alternative formats for disabled people; and
	distributed over 29,136,529 leaflets.
	The Department has spent £4,470,406 to date on production and distribution.

Swine Flu

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates his Department's National Director for Flu Resilience has met representatives of  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) strategic health authorities to discuss swine flu preparedness in the last three months; and if he will place a copy of the minutes of each such meeting in the Library.

Gillian Merron: The National Director NHS Flu Resilience has been in post since 5 May 2009.
	The National Director NHS Flu Resilience has engaged with each NHS Chief Executive through the National NHS Chief Executive's Conference on the 20 May. There are no minutes of the conference.
	In addition, he has personally briefed each of the 10 strategic health authority chief executives at meetings of the NHS management boards on 13 May and 11 June. A summary of the meeting is usually produced within three months of the meeting taking place, but is not yet available. A copy of the summary will be placed in the Library once it is finalised.
	On 4 June, the National Director met with all 10 strategic health authority flu lead directors; there are no formal minutes of the meeting.

Swine Flu

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital patient specimens have been submitted to Health Protection Agency regional laboratories in order to be tested for swine flu to date.

Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agencys regional laboratory network has tested 23,395 samples up to the end of 30 June 2009. 83 of the samples that tested positive for swine flu came from hospitalised patients.

Swine Flu

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have accessed NHS Direct's online swine flu symptom checker to date; and how much was spent developing this service.

Gillian Merron: The number of people who have accessed NHS Directs on-line cold and flu symptom checker (which has included swine flu since 27 April 2009) is 707,583 (as of 30 June 2009).
	The symptom checker service is integrated into NHS Directs contact centre operations and is used for a wider range of topics than just colds and flu. The approximate cost of developing the whole suite of tools (not just specifically the colds and flu element) was £367,000.

Swine Flu: Health Education

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 387-88W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the findings of the research.

Gillian Merron: The Department periodically publishes summaries of the research it commissions on its website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/FreedomOfInformation/Freedomofinformationpublicationschemefeedback/Classesofinformation/Communicationsresearch/index.htm
	A summary of the research to check the receipt of the swine flu information leaflet will be published there in due course. We will also place a copy of the research in the Library on publication.
	The tracking research to check awareness of the information campaign is still ongoing and the findings are therefore not yet known.

Transplant Surgery

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who were waiting for organ transplants had been waiting for longer than three weeks in  (a) Test Valley Borough and  (b) Southampton on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows patients currently listed and waiting over three weeks in Test Valley borough (postcodes SP10 and 11).
	
		
			  Organ(s)  Number of patients listed 
			 Kidney 7 
			 Kidney/pancreas 2 
		
	
	The following table shows patients currently listed and waiting over three weeks in Southampton (postcodes SO14-19).
	
		
			  Organ(s)  Number of patients listed 
			 Kidney 39

Treatment Centres: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which independent sector treatment centres were assessed by the Healthcare Commission as being  (a) compliant and  (b) non-compliant with the National Minimum Standard A11 in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission has informed us that three independent sector treatment centres were assessed against standard A11 of the Independent Health Care: National Minimum Standards by the Healthcare Commission during 2008-09. Of those, Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre and Bodmin Independent Treatment Centre were found to have met the standard. Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre was found to have almost met the standard.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local Government Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will enable local authorities to finance expenditure from their projected future efficiency savings.

Rosie Winterton: Local authorities can already finance expenditure from projected future efficiency savings provided they are satisfied the expenditure falls within the terms of the Prudential system. This allows local authorities to borrow for any capital expenditure without Government consent, provided that they can afford the borrowing costs.

Local Government Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of the funding allocated to his Department was allocated to local authorities in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Shahid Malik: The following tables give the amounts and proportions of my Departments funding to local authorities in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Main programme ,  departmental expenditure limit (DEL) 
			   All figures  ( £ million ) 
			  Financial years  Communities and local government DEL  O f which :  funding to local authorities  P roportion of funding to local authorities  (percentage) 
			 2008-09 11,412 5,339 47 
			 2009-10 12,895 5,726 44 
			  Note: Figures exclude administration costs 
		
	
	
		
			  Local government ,  departmental expenditure limit (DEL) 
			   All figures  ( £ million ) 
			  Financial years  Local government DEL  O f  which:  funding to local authorities  P roportion of funding to local authorities  (percentage) 
			 2008-09 24,913 24,568 99 
			 2009-10 25,737 25,506 99 
			  Note: Proportion of funding allocated to local authorities in 2008-09 are outturn figures for both main and local government departmental expenditure limits.

Supporting People Programme

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on local authority provision of support for vulnerable people of proposed changes to the Supporting People programme.

Ian Austin: During 2008, CLG worked with 15 local authorities, providers, service users, and stakeholders to gather evidence about the potential impact of removing the ring fence for Supporting People. During this period, there were no serious concerns raised and feedback from the 15 authorities has shown innovative jointly commissioned services can provide better outcomes for vulnerable people.

Business Rates: Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations his Department has received on the effect of the new system of retrospective business rates on companies within ports.

Rosie Winterton: This Department has received a number of written representations directly from some port businesses, and also from some constituency MPs where there is a port.

Social Housing

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to allow local authorities more discretion over criteria for allocation of social housing.

Ian Austin: We will bring forward proposals within the next few weeks.

Social Housing

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further steps his Department is taking to ensure that a greater proportion of social housing meets the Decent Homes standard; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The day to day management of the Decent Homes Programme transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on 1 December 2008. The HCA is working with the Tenant Services Authority and with local authorities and other social landlords through the Single Conversation process and other contact, in order to develop and support strategies for delivery.

Affordable Housing

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the development of innovative financing schemes to support the purchase of affordable housing.

John Denham: The Governments HomeBuy scheme helps purchasers who cannot afford to buy a home on the open market. We have recently introduced two innovative products into the HomeBuy range in response to the current difficulties which potential buyers are experiencing as a result of the restrictions on the global supply of credit.
	Our Rent to HomeBuy product allows households to rent a home from a housing association at below market rent for up to five years, enabling them to save for a deposit. The HomeBuy Direct scheme provides purchasers with an equity loan of up to 30 per cent. to purchase a newly built home from participating developers on specific sites. The loan is funded jointly by the developer and Government.

Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2009,  Official Report, column 999W, on the Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002, what informal discussions his Department has had with local authority officers on sections 152 and 153 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002 in the last two years; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his Departments record of each such discussion.

Ian Austin: Officials attended the re-constituted London leasehold officers forum on 6 January where an update on section 152 was provided. A meeting has since taken place with a working group from the forum on 12 May to discuss concerns and clarify certain proposal for the regulations. Officials continue to work with the forum to ensure that the regulations will benefit local authority leaseholders but without creating unnecessary burdens and costs.
	There was also the formal consultation exercise carried out in July 2007 to which some local authorities responded.

Conservation Areas

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on the use of Article 4 directions in relation to conservation areas.

Ian Austin: Guidance on the use of article 4 directions in relation to conservation areas is provided in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 15 (Planning and the Historic Environment) and in DoE Circular 9/95. A consultation document on a new Planning Policy Statement to replace PPG 15 will be issued shortly.

Council Housing Finance Review

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on his Department's review of the Housing Revenue Account; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The Minister for Housing announced his conclusions from the review of council housing finance in a written ministerial statement laid before Parliament on 30 June. A consultation document will be published before summer recess.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of families on council housing waiting lists in each local authority in England.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) on 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 17W.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1039W, on council tax: valuation, what the equivalent figures are for 2008-09.

Rosie Winterton: A copy of the information referred to has been placed in the Library.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 1035-36W, on council tax: valuation, how many properties were identified by the Valuation Office Agency as potentially having consequentials prior to the discussion at the Programme Board.

Rosie Winterton: No work was undertaken prior to the discussion at the programme board to identify the number of consequentials.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties had their council tax band changed as a result of a council tax appeal made by their residents or by residents of a property in the vicinity in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09.

Rosie Winterton: Against approximately 22.7 million entries now in council tax valuation lists in England the numbers of valid proposals which were received by the VOA in each year and which, when settled, resulted in a band change to the subject property are as follows:
	
		
			   Valid proposals received by VOA in each year, resulting in a band change to subject property 
			 2005-06 9,447 
			 2006-07 11,430 
			 2007-08 11,868 
			 2008-09 6,136 
		
	
	Information about re-bandings following a valid proposal made by residents of a property in the vicinity can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Press

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) newspapers and  (b) periodicals are delivered to the private office of each Minister in his Department; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Shahid Malik: All information is for the last financial year (April 2008 to March 2009).
	(a) The then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Independent
	 The Daily Express
	 The Financial Times
	 The Daily Telegraph
	 The Evening Standard (West End Final Extra)
	 The Evening Standard (West End Final)
	 The Evening Standard (1( st) Edition)
	 The Eastern Eye
	 The Daily Jang
	 The Jewish Chronicle
	 The Voice
	 New Nation
	 International Herald Tribune
	 Muslim Weekly
	The then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) received the following periodicals:
	 The Economist
	 The Spectator
	 The New Statesman
	 Prospect
	 The Municipal Journal
	 The Local Government Chronicle
	 The London Review of Books
	 Tribune
	 The Times Literary Supplement
	The then Minister for Housing, the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) and her predecessor the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Independent
	 The Daily Express
	 The Financial Times
	 The Daily Telegraph
	 The Evening Standard (West End Final)
	 Yorkshire Post
	The then Minister for Housing, the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) and her predecessor the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) received the following periodicals
	 The Economist
	 The Spectator
	 The New Statesman
	The then Minister for Local Government, the right hon. Member for Wentworth (John Healey) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Financial Times
	 The Evening Standard (West End Final)
	 Yorkshire Post
	The then Minister for Local Government, the right hon. Member for Wentworth (John Healey) received the following periodicals:
	 The Economist
	 The Spectator
	 The New Statesman
	 The Municipal Journal
	 The Local Government Chronicle
	 Tribune
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (the noble Baroness Lady Andrews) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Independent
	 The Daily Express
	 The Financial Times
	 The Daily Telegraph
	 The Evening Standard (1( st) Edition)
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (the noble Baroness Lady Andrews) received the following periodicals:
	 The Economist
	 The Spectator
	 The New Statesman
	 Prospect
	 The Local Government Chronicle
	 Regeneration and Renewal
	 Planning Magazine
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) and his predecessor the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Daily Telegraph
	 The Evening Standard (West End Final Extra)
	 The Evening Standard (1( st) Edition)
	 The Eastern Eye
	 The Daily Jang
	 The Jewish Chronicle
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) and his predecessor the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) received the following periodicals:
	 The New Statesman
	 The Municipal Journal
	 The Local Government Chronicle
	 Building
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) received the following newspapers:
	 The Daily Mail
	 The Daily Mirror
	 The Guardian
	 The Times
	 The Sun
	 The Independent
	 The Financial Times
	 The Daily Telegraph
	 The Evening Standard (1( st) Edition)
	 The German Times (complimentary copy)
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) received the following periodicals:
	 The Economist
	 Municipal Journal
	(b) The total costs recorded by the Department for newspapers and periodicals for all ministerial offices in the last financial year was £7,184.85.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the planned change in expenditure by his Department is in each of the next three years, expressed in  (a) cash and  (b) percentage terms;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated to his Department in each of the next three years.

Shahid Malik: The following tables set out the Departments allocation for the remaining two years of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) period and the planned changes in expenditure for those years.
	
		
			  Main programme ,  departmental expenditure limit (DEL) 
			  All figures  ( £ million ) 
			   Financial year 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 Resource 4,272 4,193 
			 Capital 8,623 6,348 
			 Total 12,895 10,541 
			  Note: Figures exclude administration costs. 
		
	
	These figures reflect over £1.5 billion of capital brought forward from 2010-11 to 2008-09 and 2009-10 through the September housing package and pre-Budget report. In addition to some reprofiling in 2009-10 and 2010-11, £555 million of capital was announced at Budget 2009.
	
		
			  Local government ,  departmental expenditure limit (DEL) 
			  All figures ( £ million ) 
			   Financial year 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 Resource 25,596 26,296 
			 Capital 106 92 
			 Total 25,702 26,388 
		
	
	For the 2007 CSR period, the planned changed in expenditure for the remaining years is as follows:
	
		
			   Main programme  Local government 
			 2009-10 (£ million) 12,895 25,702 
			 2010-11 (£ million) 10,541 26,388 
			 Cash term (£ million) -2,354 +686 
			 Percentage term -18.3 +2.7

Departmental Public Expenditure

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department has allocated to each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) each of the next three years.

Shahid Malik: Departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgets for CLGs executive agencies and executive NDPBs planned for the CSR period in years 2009-10 and 2010-11 are as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			  Executive Agencies   
			 Fire Service College 0 0 
			 Planning Inspectorate 56,697 52,594 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 0 0 
			  Executive NDPBs   
			 Community Development Foundation 1,706 1,590 
			 Firebuy 1,582 0 
			 Homes and Communities Agency 5,218,435 3,969,121 
			 Independent Housing Ombudsman 0 0 
			 Leasehold Advisory Service 1,325 1,450 
			 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation 46,300 46,500 
			 Standards Board for England 8,275 7,869 
			 Tenant Services Authority 35,623 35,173 
			 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation 36,200 35,600 
			 Valuation Tribunal Service 11,439 10,935 
			 West Northants Development Corporation 16,741 16,484

Fire Services: Equality

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated to fire authorities for the purposes of meeting diversity and equality recruitment targets in each of the last five years.

Shahid Malik: No funding has been allocated to fire and rescue authorities for the purposes of meeting equality and diversity recruitment targets in each of the last five financial years.
	Communities and Local Government has allocated £2 million in total in capital grant for 2009-10 and 2010-11 to those fire and rescue authorities which make a commitment to recruitment targets both for women in the operational sector and for minority ethnic staff across all sectors of their workforce higher than those required by the Fire and Rescue Service equality and diversity strategy. Those fire and rescue authorities that have qualified for capital grant have committed to meet targets by 2013 for a minimum of 18 per cent. of new entrants to the operational service to be women and for recruitment of minority ethnic staff across the whole workforce to be at 2 - 5 per cent. above the minority ethnic representation in the local working population.
	Communities and Local Government has allocated £34,482 in capital grant for 2009-10 to each of 29 fire and rescue authorities that have committed to the higher recruitment targets.

Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements his Department has put in place for contingency fire cover in the event of a national fire fighters' strike.

Shahid Malik: The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 lays down duties for specified category 1 responders, including fire and rescue authorities, to assess, plan and advise in relation to emergencies. For a fire and rescue authority, an emergency includes a period of industrial action. Therefore the provision of contingency fire cover within a fire and rescue authority in the event of industrial action, is the responsibility of that fire and rescue authority, whether the dispute is local or national in extent.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will request the Office of Fair Trading to investigate allegations of secret commission payments being made to estate agents by home information pack providers.

John Healey: The Office of Fair Trading are already undertaking a major study of the home buying and selling process, including competition within the industry and whether the interest of consumers are best served.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligations local authorities will have in relation to housing capital receipts under changes to the Housing Revenue Account system proposed by his Department.

Ian Austin: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The Minister for Housing announced in the House on 30 June 2009,  Official Report, column 7WS that he intended to publish a consultation document before the summer recess. This document will set out proposals to end the pooling of all housing capital receipts.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many keyworkers in each category have purchased a home under each of the HomeBuy schemes to date; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The following table sets out the number of key workers in each category recorded as having purchased a home under the relevant homebuy schemes between April 2006 and March 2009.
	
		
			  Key worker category  New build homebuy  Open market homebuy 
			 Health 1,171 1,820 
			 Education 854 2,105 
			 Community safety 533 1,269 
			 Local authority key workers 146 218 
			 Total 2,704 5,412 
			  Source: The Homes and Communities Agency's Information Management System.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many  (a) private developers and  (b) registered social landlords made applications for HomeBuy Direct funding during the most recent round of bidding;
	(2)  pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 883W, on housing: construction, what timetable has been set for publication of information on the bids received by the Homes and Communities Agency for funding under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme;
	(3)  pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 883W, on housing: construction, how many bidders for funding under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme have applied for  (a) equity and  (b) loan investment support;
	(4)  pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 883W, on housing: construction, how many of the bids received for funding under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme were from  (a) arms length management organisations,  (b) registered social landlords and  (c) private sector developers;
	(5)  how many applications for support under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme have been received from organisations operating in each region; how many projects such bids relate to; and how much funding organisations in each region have bid for to date under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme;
	(6)  what the  (a) average and  (b) total monetary value of grants bid for under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme was.

John Healey: Information on the bids received by the HCA for funding under the Kickstart Housing Delivery programme will be published on the HCA website at the end of July.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the most recent round of bidding for HomeBuy Direct funding took place; and over what period he expects the next such round to take place.

John Healey: The Kickstart Housing Development Programme includes an element of HomeBuy Direct funding. The bidding round was launched on 8 May 2009 and closed on 8 June 2009.
	The Kickstart Housing Development Programme has been extended as announced in the Housing Pledgepart of Building Britains Future and as a result there will be a further bidding round closing in autumn 2009. Details will be published shortly on the HCA website at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average  (a) monetary value and  (b) percentage of equity purchased under the Social HomeBuy scheme has been to date.

Ian Austin: On the question about average monetary value, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 994-95W.
	The average percentage of equity purchased under the social homebuy scheme is 85 per cent. for 2006-07, 89 per cent. for 2007-08 and 84 per cent. for 2008-09.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on the HomeBuy Direct scheme to date.

John Healey: As at the end of June the Department had spent £4,734,698 on HomeBuy Direct.

Housing: Repossession Orders

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) studio apartments,  (b) one-bedroom,  (c) two-bedroom and  (d) three or more bedroomed properties to have been repossessed in each of the last five years.

Ian Austin: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). However neither source has data on the number of bedrooms of the property being repossessed.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders latest press release on repossessions is on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/2262
	The Financial Services Authority data are available on their website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Returns/IRRystatistics/

Influenza

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the roles are of  (a) local and  (b) regional resilience forums in preparations for an influenza pandemic.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) are the principal mechanism for the coordination of multi-agency planning at local level. Membership includes all Category 1 responders (such as emergency services, local authorities and health bodies) which are subject to a range of civil protection duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. As such, LRFs are responsible for planning for the multi-agency management of an influenza pandemic at local level, working closely with primary care trusts.
	Regional Resilience Forums (RRFs) allow key responders to plan together and improve the coordination and flow of information across and between regions and the centre. In preparation for wide-scale civil emergencies such as an influenza pandemic, RRFs would work closely with strategic health authorities to provide an information channel between central Government planning and local tiers, identify issues that cannot be resolved locally and provide appropriate feedback.

Influenza

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public bodies are responsible for overseeing the preparations made by local authorities for an influenza pandemic.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	The Audit Commission is responsible for monitoring the performance of local authorities. This includes ensuring that they meet their statutory requirements of which preparing for emergencies is one. (The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004, requires local authorities to assess the risk of emergencies occurring and to maintain plans for managing these risks.)
	The Audit Commission works with partner inspectorates (i.e. HM Inspectorate for Constabularies, the Care Quality Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Prisons; HM Inspectorate of Probation and Ofsted) to assess the performance of local services in England through the Comprehensive Area Assessment. For those organisations that are inspected both sector specific and multi-agency performance is assessed. This includes assessment against National Indicator 37, which assesses how aware the general public are of what to do in the event of an emergency.
	The CCA Implementation team, within the Civil Contingencies Secretariat at the Cabinet Office, is responsible for running a CCA performance development and compliance work stream. An Expectation and Indicators of Good Practice Set for Category 1 and 2 Responders has been published which sets out what is expected of those responsible for preparing for emergencies (including local authorities) and outlines mandatory requirements. This can be accessed through the United Kingdom resilience pages of the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ukresilience/publications.aspx

Landlords: Registration

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the annual fee to be charged in respect of the proposed national registration scheme for landlords; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of that fee on the levels of rent charged by landlords.

Ian Austin: Work on our proposals is at too early a stage for precise estimates to be made.

Local Government: Billing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what means his Department intends to measure whether local authorities are meeting guidelines for the payment of invoices within 10 days.

Rosie Winterton: In October 2008 the Prime Minister announced that central Government Departments will pay their suppliers as soon as possible and within 10 days. This commitment has also attracted support from the wider public sector. The Government are now working with the Regional Economic Fora (which provide a strategic approach to coordinating economic policies across Government in the regions, are made up of key regional bodies and are all either chaired or co-chaired by regional Ministers) to identify payment best practice across local authorities and the NHS and encourage these areas to commit to the prompt payment code.
	Local government has a strong track record of paying suppliers on time, with Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) data from 2007-08 showing that 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices were paid on time by local authorities. A Local Government Association survey in January 2009 showed that 32 per cent. of local authorities were making payments in 10 days or less, and a further 20 per cent. within 20 days.
	BVPI's have now been replaced by the single national indicator set which are outcome-based measurements of performance. The Government have committed to only performance managing local authorities within these agreed indicators and targets and as the 10-day payment policy for local authorities is not in the national indicator set, we will not be asking local authorities to report their performance. Instead, the focus on businesses in the national indicator set is on business growth and sustainability. In that context we know anecdotally, and through other surveys, that local authorities are targeting those businesses in most in need of prompt payment and are working on a range of wider measures to increase cash flow, simplify and increase the transparency and take up of public procurement opportunities particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations his Department has received on the effect of the new system of retrospective business rates on companies within ports.

Rosie Winterton: This Department has received a number of written representations directly from some port businesses, and also from some constituency MPs where there is a port.

Non-domestic Rates: Wind Power

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the rateable value per megawatt of generation capacity of  (a) on-shore and  (b) off-shore wind farms (i) is in 2009-10 and (ii) is expected to be in 2010-11.

Rosie Winterton: The rateable value for onshore wind farms in the 2005 rating lists ranges between £5,000 and £12,500 rateable value per megawatt of generation capacity.
	Individual draft rateable values for the 2010 rating lists will be published for consultation by the Valuation Office Agency at the end of September 2009.
	Offshore wind farms located beyond mean low water mark are not rateable.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what categories of on-shore energy projects will have their planning application dealt with by  (a) local authorities,  (b) the Marine Management Organisation and  (c) the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

John Healey: The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will deal with projects which meet the thresholds in Part 3 of the Planning Act 2008, once these are commenced. Where there is relevant national policy statement, the IPC will examine and determine the application; where no relevant national policy statement is in place, the IPC will examine the application and then report with recommendations to the relevant Secretary of State. On-shore projects falling below those thresholds will in most cases require planning permission from the relevant local planning authority.
	We would not normally expect an application for a marine licence to be made to the Marine Management Organisation in relation to on-shore projects.

Private Rented Housing: Pendle

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department plans to provide to  (a) Pendle Borough Council and  (b) other housing providers in Pendle to improve standards of private sector housing in 2009-10.

Ian Austin: Pendle borough council was allocated £1,587,000 (one million, five hundred and eighty seven thousand pounds) in 2009-10 to improve private sector housing. Allocations are paid to local authorities through the regional housing pot as un-ring fenced capital grants based on recommendations made by the regional housing boards.

Public Bodies: Travelling People

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to public bodies on allocation of services to Travellers.

Shahid Malik: The Department has not issued any guidance to public bodies on the allocation of services to Travellers.

Public Lavatories: Disabled

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received from groups representing disabled people on the adequacy of the level of provision by local authorities of public conveniences with disabled access.

Shahid Malik: The noble Lady, Baroness Andrews met representatives of the Changing Places Consortium on 13 January 2009 to discuss their campaign to promote specially equipped toilets for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Local authority provision of such toilets was discussed. The updated British Standard BS8300 Design of Buildings and their approaches to meet the need of disabled peopleCode of Practice, was published in March 2009, which includes expanded guidance on the design and provision of Changing Places facilities.
	In the last six months, this Department has received letters from members of the public about various aspects of local authority public toilet provision, but none from groups representing the interests of disabled people.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposed new integrated regional plans are expected to include regional transport plans.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 2 July 2009,  Official Report, column 372W.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to change his planned expenditure on the Decent Homes programme for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

John Healey: The £1.5 billion Housing Pledge will provide additional expenditure for new affordable housing and related housing market provision as set out in Building Britains Future. It is funded through contributions from other Government Departments and reprioritisation of CLG programmes.

Tenant Services Authority: Public Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1009W, on the Tenant Services Authority: public relations, for what reason Engage was commissioned.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) of 21 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1549W.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of planning cases relating to Travellers were determined by the Planning Inspectorate in favour of those Travellers in the latest year for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The Planning Inspectorate does not classify cases relating to Travellers separately and could not do so without incurring disproportionate costs.

Waste Disposal: Planning Permission

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on facilitating planning applications for waste facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: This Department has received representations from the Environmental Services Association in relation to the Killian Pretty review on land use planning. Positive planning has an important role in delivering sustainable waste management through the development of appropriate strategies for growth, regeneration and the prudent use of resources; and by providing sufficient opportunities for new waste management facilities of the right type, in the right place and at the right time.

Waste Disposal: Planning Permission

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to decide on the request from 20 parish councils of 9 January 2009 that he call in the planning application for the construction of an energy from waste facility at Ardley in Oxfordshire.

Ian Austin: Oxfordshire county council has confirmed that the application will be referred to the Secretary of State under the Departures Direction if their Members resolve to approve planning permission. Oxfordshire county council advises that the application is not expected to be considered by Members until September at the earliest.
	The Secretary of State will consider all the information, including all representations, such as those received from the 20 parish councils, if the application is referred to him by the local planning authority.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Al-Muhajiroun

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to  (a) police forces and  (b) other authorities in dealing with members of al-Muhajiroun and related groups; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: No formal guidance has been provided to forces or other authorities in dealing with members of al-Muhajiroun.
	Al-Muhajiroun is not currently a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. However, two of its successor groupsAl Gurabaa and Saved/Saviour Sectare.
	The recently published CONTEST strategy document states that the Government will take action against those who defend terrorism and violent extremism. We will also continue to challenge views that jeopardise community cohesion

Alcohol Disorder Zones

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to  (a) police and  (b) local authorities on the establishment of alcohol disorder zones.

Alan Campbell: Alcohol disorder zones (ADZs) are used as a last resort to enable local authorities and the police to tackle high levels of alcohol related nuisance or disorder in a specified zone. Local authorities publish a voluntary action plan to reduce such nuisance or disorder. If the action plan is not sufficiently implemented, the local authority may charge certain alcohol license holders to pay for additional enforcement services.
	Guidance for ADZs was updated in December 2008 and it is suitable for both police and local authorities. This guidance can be viewed at the following link:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/alcohol-disorder-zone-guidance1?view=Binary

Alcohol Disorder Zones

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the operation of alcohol disorder zones.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has received no recent formal representations on the operation of alcohol disorder zones (ADZs).

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the London Borough of Bexley aged  (a) under 18 and  (b) between 18 and 24 years old have been (i) cautioned and (ii) prosecuted for alcohol-related behaviour in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The number of persons cautioned for alcohol related behaviour offences in Greater London, which includes the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas, by age group, from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in table 1. The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.
	The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for alcohol related behaviour in Greater London, by age group, from 2003 to 2007 are given in table 2. The statistics in table 2 relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. For example, when a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	A Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) may also be issued by the police for certain alcohol related offences such as being drunk and disorderly and drunk in a highway. The number of persons issued with a PND for alcohol related behaviour offences in the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas, by age group, from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) are given in table 3. The PND Scheme was implemented in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales in 2004.
	Information held centrally is not available at local authority area. Data have been given in the tables for Greater London, which includes the City of London and Metropolitan police force areas, in which the London borough of Bexley is situated.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons cautioned for alcohol related behaviour offences( 1)  in Greater London (including the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas), by age group, 2003 to 2007( 2,3,4) 
			  Age  Total 
			  2003  
			 10 to 17 155 
			 18 to 24 142 
			   
			  2004  
			 10 to 17 103 
			 18 to 24 102 
			   
			  2005  
			 10 to 17 26 
			 18 to 24 87 
			   
			  2006  
			 10 to 17 9 
			 18 to 24 90 
			   
			  2007  
			 10 to 17 1 
			 18 to 24 141 
			 (1) Includes offences under the: Licensing Act 1872 s.12; Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 ss.1(2)(3)(4) and 1A(2)(3)(4), 2(1)(2), 5B(2)(3), 5C(3)(4), 5D(2)(3), 6(2); Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 s. 1; Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 ss.12, 17, 25(3)(a)(b), 25(4)(5), 32; Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91; 
			 Licensing Act 1964 ss. 5C(5), 6, 6, 19, 28(3), 34, 36, 39(1)(2)(3)(4), 45, 48, 51(4), 53, 59(1)(a)(b), 71(4), 72, 84, 85(2), 89, 155(1)(a), 157(1)(a)(b), 157(1)(b), 159, 160,(1)(a)(b), 161(1)(2), 162, 163, 164(1)(2), 165, 166(1)(a)(b), 167, 168A, 168(1)(2), 169A, 169B, 169C(1)(2)(3), 169E(1), 169F, 169G, 170, 171A(1), 172, 172A, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179A(6), 179B(5)(6), 179E(8), 1791-1(2), 181A(1)(2)(3), 183(1)(2)(3), 184, 185, 186, 187(3)(4), 188, 193(7) Sch.8 Appendix C s. 6, Appendix D; Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 s. 1; Licensing Act 2003 ss. 33, 40, 41, 46, 49, 56, 57, 59, 82, 83, 93, 94, 96, 108, 109, 123, 127, 128, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 147A, 148, 149(1)(3)(4)(7(a)(b), 150(1)(2), 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 165, 168, 179, 197, Sch.8 paras 1 and 22; Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 ss. 11, 27; Road Traffic Act 1991 s. 3; Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 ss. 7(2), 8, 9(1)(4), 10; Town Police Clauses Act 1847 ss. 35, 61; London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 s.28; Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.101(1)(a)(b), (4) and (5); Licensing Act 1902 ss.2, 6(2)(a)(b); Similar provisions in Local Acts; Road Traffic Act ss.4(1)(2) s.5(1)(a)(b), s.6(4), s.7(6); Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 3A, 7A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.56, Transport and Works Act 1992 S.31A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.52; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 s.3 [Sch. Para. 2, 3(a)(b), 4(1)(2)(3), 5, 6, 7, 8(2), 9(2)]; Licensing Act 1988 s. 17,18; Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, s. 19; Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s. 5; Criminal Justice Act 1996 s. 6. (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for alcohol related behaviour offences( 1)  in Greater London (including the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas), by age group, 2003 to 2007( 2,3) 
			  Police force area 
			  Age  Total 
			  2003  
			 10 to 17 219 
			 18 to 24 3,244 
			   
			  2004  
			 10 to 17 187 
			 18 to 24 2,763 
			   
			  2005  
			 10 to 17 151 
			 18 to 24 2,730 
			   
			  2006  
			 10 to 17 92 
			 18 to 24 2,807 
			   
			  2007  
			 10 to 17 127 
			 18 to 24 2,600 
			 (1) Includes offences under the: Licensing Act 1872 s.12; Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 ss.1(2)(3)(4) and 1A(2)(3)(4), 2(1)(2), 5B(2)(3), 5C(3)(4), 5D(2)(3), 6(2); Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 s. 1; 
			 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 ss.12, 17, 25(3)(a)(b), 25(4)(5), 32; Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91; Licensing Act 1964 ss. 5C(5), 6, 6, 19, 28(3), 34, 36, 39(1)(2)(3)(4), 45, 48, 51(4), 53, 59(1)(a)(b), 71(4), 72, 84, 85(2), 89, 155(1)(a), 157(1)(a)(b), 157(1)(b), 159, 160,(1)(a)(b), 161(1)(2), 162, 163, 164(1)(2), 165, 166(1)(a)(b), 167, 168A, 168(1)(2), 169A, 169B, 169C(1)(2)(3), 169E(1), 169F, 169G, 170, 171A(1), 172, 172A, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179A(6), 179B(5)(6), 179E(8), 1791-1(2), 181A(1)(2)(3), 183(1)(2)(3), 184, 185, 186, 187(3)(4), 188, 193(7) Sch.8 Appendix C s. 6, Appendix D; Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 s.1; Licensing Act 2003 ss. 33, 40, 41, 46, 49, 56, 57, 59, 82, 83, 93, 94, 96, 108, 109, 123, 127, 128, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 147A, 148, 149(1)(3)(4)(7(a)(b), 150(1)(2), 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 165, 168, 179, 197, Sch.8 paras 1 and 22; Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 ss. 11,27; Road Traffic Act 1991 s. 3; Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 ss. 7(2), 8, 9(1)(4), 10; Town Police Clauses Act 1847 ss. 35, 61; London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 s.28; Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.101(1)(a)(b), (4) and (5); Licensing Act 1902 ss.2, 6(2)(a)(b); Similar provisions in Local Acts; Road Traffic Act ss.4(1)(2) s.5(1)(a)(b), s.6(4), s.7(6); Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 3A, 7A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.56, Transport and Works Act 1992 S.31A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.52; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 s.3 [Sch. Para. 2, 3(a)(b), 4(1)(2)(3), 5, 6, 7, 8(2), 9(2)]; Licensing Act 1988 s. 17, 18; Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, s. 19; Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s. 5; Criminal Justice Act 1996 s. 6. (2)These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of penalty notices for disorder given for alcohol related behaviour offences( 1,2)  in Greater London (including the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas), by age group, 2004 to 2007( 3) 
			  Police force area 
			  Age  Total 
			  2004  
			 16 to 17 62 
			 18 to 24 1,616 
			   
			  2005  
			 16 to 17 102 
			 18 to 24 1,305 
			   
			  2006  
			 16 to 17 100 
			 18 to 24 1,309 
			   
			  2007  
			 16 to 17 94 
			 18 to 24 1,399 
			 (1) Includes offences under the: Criminal Justice Act 1967 s. 91; Licensing Act 2003 s. 141, 146(1)(3), 149(1)(3)(4), 150(1)(2), 151; Licensing Act 1872 s. 12; Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 s. 12; (2) The offence of being drunk and disorderly moved from the lower tier (£50) to the upper tier (£80) on 1 November 2004; Sale of alcohol to a person under 18, Purchasing alcohol for a person under 18, Delivery of alcohol to a person under 18 or allowing such delivery, Consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises, Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises, were added to the scheme on 1 November 2004; Sale of alcohol to a drunken person, Buying or Attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18, were added to the Scheme with effect from 4 April 2005. 
			 (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has plans to review the provisions of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in respect of the licensing of scientific procedures on animals.

Alan Campbell: We have no plans to review the provisions of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the so-called confidentiality clause, before the outcome of the revision of European Union directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is known.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been  (a) issued and  (b) breached in the London Borough of Bexley since December 2005.

Alan Campbell: Data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. Between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 (the latest period for which data are currently available), 359 ASBOs were issued at all courts in the Greater London CJS area.
	During the same period, 213 ASBOs were proven in court to have been breached at least once. Many of these breaches will relate to ASBOs issued in years prior to 2006.
	It is possible for an ASBO to be issued in one area and breached in another.
	The breach data presented above count breaches based on the area in which the ASBO was issued.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many anti-social behaviour orders are in force in Castle Point;
	(2)  how many anti-social behaviour orders Castle Point Borough Council applied for in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued on application are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. The available published information showing the number of ASBOs issued on application at all county and magistrates courts in the Essex Criminal Justice System (CJS) area in each year for the period 2002 to 2006 can be viewed in the table.
	ASBOs can be of a fixed duration (minimum two years) or made until further order. It is therefore not possible to determine from centrally collected data how many ASBOs are in force at a particular point in time.
	
		
			  N umber of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at magistrates and county courts on application in the Essex Criminal Justice System (CJS) area as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006 
			   CJS area Essex 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 7 
			 2004 9 
			 2005 9 
			 2006 6 
			  Notes: 1. Previously issued data have been revised.  2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Prepared by OCJR evidence and analysis unit.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been  (a) issued and  (b) breached in (i) Ashford constituency and (ii) Kent since 31 December 2005.

Alan Campbell: Data on the number of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. Between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 (the latest period for which data are currently available), 29 ASBOs were issued at all courts in the Kent CJS area.
	During the same period, nine ASBOs were proven in court to have been breached at least once, however, breach data from the magistrates' court administrative systems in Kent are known to have been under-reported. Many of these breaches will relate to ASBOs issued in years prior to 2006.
	It is possible for an ASBO to be issued in one area and breached in another. The breach data presented above count breaches based on the area in which the ASBO was issued.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: North West

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breaches of anti-social behaviour orders were recorded in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby constituency in each year since the inception of such orders.

Alan Campbell: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from 1 April 1999. ASBO breach data are available for ASBOs issued between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006 (latest available). ASBO breach data are not compiled below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	Centrally collected ASBO breach data only count those instances where the breach of the ASBO was proven in court to have occurred. An ASBO may be breached on more than one occasion and in more than one year. An ASBO may be issued in one CJS area and breached in another. The available information on the total number of occasions on which ASBOs were proven in court to have been breached in the Merseyside CJS area in each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of occasions in the Merseyside Criminal Justice System area( 1)  where persons were proven in court to have breached their antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) in each year between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006 
			  CJS area Merseyside 
			   Number 
			 2000-02(2) 16 
			 2003 25 
			 2004 79 
			 2005 156 
			 2006 170 
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2006 446 
			 (1) ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. Breaches are counted in this table by area of BREACH. (2) From 1 June 2000.  Notes: 1. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 2. Prepared by OCJR Evidence and Analysis Unit.  Source: OCJR Court Proceedings Database

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: South Yorkshire

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been agreed in  (a) Barnsley and  (b) Doncaster in each year since the inception of such contracts;
	(2)  how many breaches of antisocial behaviour orders have been recorded in  (a) Barnsley and  (b) Doncaster in each year since the inception of such orders;

Alan Campbell: The number of acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) is collected by the Home Office through a voluntary survey of crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) use of antisocial behaviour tools and powers. The latest data published indicate that over 30,000 ABCs have been made between October 2003 and September 2007, with over 2,730 issued in South Yorkshire during the same period. Currently, data on the number of ABCs issued are not available below regional level.
	Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from 1 April 1999. ASBO breach data are available for ASBOs issued between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006 (latest available). ASBO breach data are not compiled below criminal justice system (CJS) area level. Centrally collected ASBO breach data only count those instances where the breach of the ASBO was proven in court to have occurred. The number of occasions in each year on which ASBOs were proven in court to have been breached in the South Yorkshire CJS areas is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of occasions in the South Yorkshire criminal justice system area( 1)  where persons were proven in court to have breached their antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) in each year between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006 
			  CJS area  2000-02( 2)  2003  2004  2005  2006  1 June 2000 to 31December 2006 
			 South Yorkshire 20 47 76 156 191 490 
			 (1) ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. Breaches are counted in this table by area of breach. (2) From 1 June 2000.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR Court Proceedings Database. Prepared by OCJR Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Antisocial Behaviour: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has allocated to tackle antisocial behaviour in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) the West Midlands in each year since the inception of such programmes.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office allocated £25,000 a year from 2003-04 to each crime disorder and reduction partnership (CDRP) in West Midlands which includes Tamworth and Staffordshire, as a contribution towards funding ASB co-ordinator posts. In 2005-06, in England the antisocial co-ordinators grant was pooled within the safer and stronger communities fund. This pooled budget supported the delivery of outcomes and indicators relating to antisocial behaviour in local area agreements (LAAs). As of 2008-09, Home Office funding for local authorities to tackle antisocial behaviour now forms part of the general area-based grant (ABG) paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government. This funding has been renewed for the period 2008-11 and it is for local partnerships to agree how the grants received should be allocated against locally determined priorities, including tackling antisocial behaviour.
	Respect Programmes in the West Midlands have also had an impact on antisocial behaviour. These programmes, now the responsibility of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, were designed to kick-start a change in the way the area worked to tackle antisocial behaviour. Other Home Office led activities also act to tackle antisocial behaviour, for example, the introduction of community support officers in the West Midlands, including Staffordshire but a monetary value cannot be assigned to that contribution.
	Similarly, other programmes and services contribute, sometimes indirectly, to tackling antisocial behaviour, including diversionary activities for young people, neighbourhood wardens, as well as neighbourhood policing and neighbourhood management.

Asylum: Finance

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 19 March 2009,  Official Report, column 69WS, on asylum support, what estimate he has made of the annual administrative cost of operating a plastic payment card system for the provision of section 4 support for asylum seekers.

Phil Woolas: The annual administrative cost is estimated at £200,000. We are confident that the benefits of replacing vouchers with a payment card outweigh the financial investment.

Crime: Drugs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Merseyside aged  (a) under 18 and  (b) between 18 and 24-years-old have been (i) cautioned and (ii) prosecuted for drug-related offences in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Information provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons cautioned or proceeded against at magistrates courts for drug related offences in Merseyside police force area, broken down by age group, from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in Tables 1 and 2. Information for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders cautioned for drug related offences in the Merseyside police force area, broken down by age group, 2003 to 2007( 1, 2, 3) 
			   10 to 17 -years-old  18 to 24 -years-old 
			 2003 421 506 
			 2004 487 306 
			 2005 293 177 
			 2006 223 216 
			 2007 610 682 
			 (1 )The cautions statistics cover simple and conditional cautions, reprimands and warnings. They relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2 )From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table2: Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts of drug related offences, in the Merseyside police force area, broken down by age group, 2003 to 2007 ( 1, 2) 
			   10 to 17-years-old  18 to 24-years-old 
			 2003 393 1,128 
			 2004 297 650 
			 2005 249 432 
			 2006 222 501 
			 2007 425 1,063 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure a sustainable funding strategy for the specialist violence against women voluntary sector.

Phil Woolas: In general, funding decisions for local services are determined by local commissioners based on local areas identifying needs. These are then included in their priorities for improvement with outcomes specifying how the issues will be addressed and how they contribute to wider national aims. Addressing domestic and sexual violence will be a key priority in helping local partnerships to deliver fully on the public service agreement requirements.
	The consultation Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls closed on 29 May, 2009. A key theme for consultation was the promotion of better consistency and quality of provision of services for victims of violence against women and girls. This work will be taken forward during development of a cross-Government strategy.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps  (a) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,  (b) the Department for Children, Schools and Families,  (c) the Department for Communities and Local Government and  (d) HM Treasury will take to contribute to his Department's cross-government strategy to end violence against women and girls following the end of the consultation on the strategy.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 2 July 2009
	The Home Secretary has had regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about Government action on violence against women and girls and has written to the Ministerial Committee on Domestic Affairs twice regarding the cross-Government consultation on ending violence against women and girls.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families has established an advisory group which has a specific focus on the role of schools in preventing violence against women and girls.
	A cross-Government strategy to address violence against women and girls will be launched by the end of 2009.

Crimes of Violence: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of violent crime in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire was perpetrated against (i) young people, (ii) families and (iii) pensioners in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: The requested information is not collected centrally.
	Recorded crime data provided to the Home Office from each police force area cannot separately identify the individual circumstances of victims.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in the Dacorum Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area and the Hertfordshire police force area 
			  Number of offences 
			  Area and year  Burglary( 1)  Violence against the person  Vehicle crime( 2) 
			  Dacorum
			 2003-04 1,446 1,440 2,539 
			 2004-05 1,314 2,073 2,033 
			 2005-06 1,108 1,939 1,535 
			 2006-07 1,149 2,155 1,540 
			 2007-08 924 1,617 1,576 
			 
			  Hertfordshire
			 2003-04 12,783 12,356 16,885 
			 2004-05 11,471 16,845 13,548 
			 2005-06 10,656 16,206 12,965 
			 2006-07 9,764 16,890 11,914 
			 2007-08 9,534 13,348 11,366 
			 (1) Includes burglary in a dwelling and other burglary. (2 )Includes theft of or from a vehicle and interfering with a motor vehicle.

Departmental Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were working in his Department's European Casework department on 1 June  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the number of staff and their full-time equivalent (FTE) working on European casework for the dates requested.
	
		
			  Number of staff and their full-time equivalent (FTE) working on European casework as at 31 May( 1) 
			   Headcount  FTE 
			 2007 170 156.7 
			 2008 130 111.9 
			 2009 243 190.4 
			 (1) The figures are captured on the last working day of the month. These figures have been taken from 31 May for each year and therefore may not capture anyone who started work or changed their hours on or after 1 June.   Note:  The data are not provided under National Statistics protocols. They have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to tables 5.2 and 5.3 in his Departments Annual Report 2008, under what budget headings expenditure under the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget in the category police (including grants) has been incurred in 2008-09.

Alan Johnson: The category police (including grants) has incurred expenditure under the following budget headings:
	Wages and salaries
	Purchases and sales of goods and services
	Grants to local authorities
	Regulatory fees (income)
	Grants to the private sector
	Depreciation, cost of capital and provisions
	Capital additions, net of sales
	Capital grants to private sector
	Capital grants to local authorities
	Budgetary headings are assumed to be the Programme Objects, Sub-Programmes and Account Descriptions as defined by HM Treasury, which inform HM Treasury financial management and reporting processes.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training courses have been attended by special advisers in his Department in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Phil Woolas: Special advisers in the Home Department attended no training courses in the last 12 months. They did not need to.

Departmental Training

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's overseas staff have been on training courses in each overseas country in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Data are not collected centrally on the number of Home Office staff who have attended training courses abroad in the last five years, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Designated Public Places Orders

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many designated public place orders are in force in each local authority in England and Wales.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has been informed of 712 designated public place orders (DPPOs) in England and Wales. A list of DPPOs broken down by local authority area is available at the following link:
	http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/alcoholorders/alcoholorders09.htm

Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new immigration detention places were created in each year since 1997; and what the cost of running the immigration detention estate was in each of those years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is as follows:
	 (i) The following table shows the amount of new detention bed places created in each year between 1997 to 2009.
	
		
			   New bed spaces created 
			 1997 0 
			 1998 0 
			 1999 0 
			 2000 112 
			 2001 1,259 
			 2002 316 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 223 
			 2005 69 
			 2006 405 
			 2007 53 
			 2008 84 
			 2009 454 
			 Total 2,975 
		
	
	These figures are based on management information, and are therefore liable to change.
	 (ii) The cost of operating the UK Border Agency detention estate is complex on account of the way that contracts are formed, the payment mechanisms to contractors and ancillary costs, including the Detention Services HQ function.
	The following table, however, sets out the total cost of contracts and the Agency's contribution to the operation of the three centres managed by the Ministry of Justice on our behalf. It does not, however, include things like escorting services, UK Border Agency and Ministry of Justice staffing, all of which directly contribute to the running of the estate.
	The table also does not include data prior to 2004. It would be at disproportionate cost to provide this information.
	
		
			   Spend (£ million) 
			 2008-09 83.028 
			 2007-08 74.697 
			 2006-07 73.925 
			 2005-06 81.887 
			 2004-05 75.813 
			 2003-04 58.057

Domestic Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Respect on domestic abuse.

Alan Campbell: Respect is a member of the Home Office Domestic Violence Stakeholder Advisory Group which is chaired by myself. Respect attended the last meeting on 3 June.

Domestic Violence

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution his Department has made to the cross-Government consultation, Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for specialist voluntary sector organisations dealing with violence against women.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families is part of an inter-ministerial working group and a cross-Government steering group for the Violence Against Women and Girls consultation and strategy.
	DCSF is establishing a new advisory group to consider how schools should help tackle violence against women and girls, and how the relevant strands of ongoing DCSF work can most effectively be harnessed to maximise their impact. Gill Frances has been offered and accepted the role of chair of the group which will be meeting before the summer break.
	The funding for specialist voluntary sector organisations dealing with violence against women is one of the issues being considered as a part of the consultation and strategy and any decisions on this will be announced when the strategy is published in the autumn.

Driving: Fines

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to increase the fixed penalty for offences under section 14(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1998 to £60; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alan Campbell: The fixed penalty for these offences was increased to £60 by the Fixed Penalty (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2009. The increase came into effect on 30 June.

Drugs: Screening

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of  (a) testing of drugs and  (b) testing for drugs using (i) blood and (ii) urine samples were processed at each Forensic Science Service laboratory in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 2 July 2009
	The records on blood and urine tests carried out by the Forensic Science Service are generated by the machines running the analysis. These records do not differentiate between tests on or for blood and urine and cannot be broken down by type.
	
		
			  Drugs case demand report 
			   Case count 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009( 1) 
			 Chepstow 3,122 3,036 2,979 3,267 3,484 1,395 
			 Chorley 3,614 4,141- 3,868 4,742 4,682 1,809 
			 Huntingdon 3,089 3,596 2,842 3,473 4,061 2,459 
			 London 4,633 4,329 5,298 4,823 4,444 1,246 
			 Manchester 2 1  1 2 2 
			 Priory House, Birmingham 2,900 2,478 2,570 2,294 1,791 1,020 
			 Trident Court, Birmingham 48   4 4 3 
			 Wetherby 2,976 2,703 2,233 2,403 2,905 1,734 
			 Barmston Court   1  1  
			 FPU Sheffield   2    
			 Overall Result 20,384 20,284 19,793 21,007 21,374 9,667 
			 (1) To 29.June 
		
	
	The testing of samples of body fluids and tissues for drugs (both drugs of abuse and medicinal drugs) is carried out at the FSS labs in Chorley and London. Both laboratories carry out toxicology examinations in support of a wide range of criminal investigations; in addition the Chorley lab carries out tests of blood and urine in relation to the investigation of impaired driving through drugs. The cases of impaired driving are reported separately in the following table.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 London Toxicology 1,617 1,991 1,912 1,829 1,901 
			 Chorley Toxicology 1,461 1,603 1,297 1,153 1,146 
			 Chorley Drug Driving Unit 2,986 2,526 1,916 1,759 1,663

Entry Clearances: Married People

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions an application for a marriage visa has been refused on the basis of violence or coercion of a spouse since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The grounds for refusing a spouse visa as set out in the Immigration Rules are that the following requirements are not met:
	(i) (a) The applicant is married to or the civil partner of a person present and settled in the United Kingdom or who is on the same occasion being admitted for settlement; or
	(b)(i) the applicant is married to or the civil partner of a person who has a right of abode in the United Kingdom or indefinite leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and is on the same occasion seeking admission to the United Kingdom for the purposes of settlement and the parties were married or formed a civil partnership at least four years ago, since which time they have been living together outside the United Kingdom; and
	(b)(ii) the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the English language and sufficient knowledge about life in the United Kingdom, unless he is under the age of 18 or aged 65 or over at the time he makes his application; and
	(ii) the parties to the marriage or civil partnership have met; and
	(iii) each of the parties intends to live permanently with the other as his or her spouse or civil partner and the marriage or civil partnership is subsisting; and
	(iv) there will be adequate accommodation for the parties and any dependants without recourse to public funds in accommodation which they own or occupy exclusively; and
	(v) the parties will be able to maintain themselves and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds.
	As such we do not keep records of visas refused where coercion may have been a factor in determining the nature of the relationship. In 2008 the forced marriage unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dealt with 200 immigration-related cases.

Entry Clearances: Married People

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the review of the policy of no recourse to public funds for those entering the UK on a spouse visa in relation to people who are victims of domestic violence and trafficking.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office and the UK Border Agency are working together to introduce a new scheme for victims of domestic violence whose applications for indefinite leave to remain under the domestic violence rule are successful. The scheme will provide a contribution towards the housing and living costs incurred by the supporting organisation, while the applicants ILR application was outstanding with the UK Border Agency.
	The scheme was due to be implemented in June 2009, however, Ministers and stakeholders raised concerns about whether the scheme adequately supported victims. We are taking further time to consider these concerns.
	The Council of Europe Convention on Trafficking came into force on 1 April and has provisions for identified victims to access a 45 day reflection period which gives access to accommodation and other services.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applications from  (a) Chinese,  (b) Indian and  (c) US nationals for a student visa have been rejected since 31 March 2009.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 19 June 2009
	The percentage of applications from  (a) Chinese,  (b) Indian and  (c) US nationals for entry as a student under Tier 4 of the Points Based System between 31 March 2009 and 26 June 2009 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  PBS Tier 4 (Student) VISA applications: 1 April 2009 to 26 June 2009 
			   Received  Issued  Refused  Withdrawn  Lapsed  Total resolved  Percent refused 
			 Chinese nationals 1,687 692 374 4 0 1,070 34.9 
			 Indian nationals 3,497 966 938 5 0 1,909 49.1 
			 US nationals 924 662 181 6 0 849 21.3 
			  Note:  1. These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional 2. Some applications received in the period will be resolved after the period end, and some applications resolved in the period will have been received prior to the period start.  Source:  Central Reference System

Firearms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested at airports for firearms offences in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: The data requested are not available.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) recorded by the police forces in England and Wales, broken down by police force area, offence class and age group of arrestee. From these centrally reported data, it is not possible to separately identify firearms offences from within these offence groups.
	Information on the specific location of arrests does not form a part of this collection.

Forensic Science

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of staff  (a) training and  (b) recruitment at each forensic science site in each of the next three years.

Alan Campbell: The budget allocated for training and for recruitment in the Forensic Science Service has not been divided by site, but has been planned for nationally. Technical training spend in the coming year is currently forecast at £447,000. Figures for the following two years have not yet been agreed.
	Recruitment spend over the coming years is currently estimated as follows:
	
		
			   Recruitment spend (£) 
			 2009-10 400,000 
			 2010-11 470,000 
			 2011-12 480,000 
			 2012-13 480,000

Forensic Science

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department operates an in-house forensic science laboratory.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office does not operate an in-house forensic science laboratory but does have a branchthe Home Office Science and Development Branchwhich is involved in the research and development of forensic techniques.

Forensic Science Regulator

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget for the Forensic Science Regulator was in 2008-09; and what it is for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The information is as follows:
	The budget for 2008-09 was £1.3 million
	The budget for 2009-10 is £1.3 million
	The budget for 2010-11 has not been set but is expected to remain as that for the previous year.

Forensic Science Regulator: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at each Civil Service payband are employed by the Forensic Science Regulator.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The Forensic Science Regulator is a public appointment who is supported by a small team of civil servants employed by the Home Office. The team consist of:
	Grade 7: two
	SEO/SSO: three
	EO: one
	PS/Admin: one

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which company has been appointed as a consultant on human relations in the Forensic Science Service.

Alan Campbell: The only major consultancy services have been obtained from Deloitte (who assisted the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in 2008 with its preliminary thinking on business transformation). Deloitte have also been FSS's pension advisers for some time. FSS has used a number of specialist providers in a smaller way to support the design of the business transformation programme. The transformation team itself has also been staffed by a number of agency and interim specialists to work alongside and train in-house resources.

Forensic Science Service: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for proposing the closure of the Forensic Science Services (FSS) Chorley laboratory as part of the consultation to reduce national FSS staff numbers.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has embarked on a consultation on its plans to transform, to move to a new national delivery model based around four primary sites, instead of the current seven main locations. It is not a consultation to cut staff numbers.
	The companys preferred model does not envisage the long-term continued use of Chorley as a main laboratory. No final decision has been taken ahead of completion of the consultation.
	In selecting those sites proposed as suitable for inclusion, a number of factors were carefully considered.
	A main building block of the proposed operational delivery model is the co-location of body fluid search examination with DNA analytical facilities to meet the challenging customer timeliness requirements and improvements in success rates (i.e. providing a useful DNA profile from a body fluid stain). This is significantly different to how the current services operate and a key enabler to any estate footprint.
	Current DNA analytical facilities are located at Huntingdon, London, Trident Court and Wetherby. The start up cost and time lag of introducing DNA facilities into sites where DNA is not currently delivered has had a significant impact on the choice of proposed retained locations.
	Among other key factors considered were:
	Available laboratory space, as well as type of space;
	Lowest risk on customer disengagement;
	Maintaining geographical spread across England  Wales;
	Overall execution risk and cost/benefit analysis;
	Response to scenes;
	Current mix of skills at each site and their alignment, as far as possible, to the proposed national business streams.

Forensic Science Service: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with coroners based in the North West on the proposed closure of the e laboratory in Chorley.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has a pathology laboratory in Sheffield which services the north-west. Staff at this facility have held discussions on the transformation of the FSS with local coroners.

Forensic Science Service: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has consulted the police force of  (a) Lancashire,  (b) Merseyside,  (c) Greater Manchester,  (d) Cumbria and  (e) Cheshire on the proposed closure of the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Chorley.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has communicated with all its law enforcement customers as part of the consultation process, in order to develop a proposed new structure that will best serve the needs of the Criminal Justice Service.
	The FSS will continue to communicate with its law enforcement customers throughout the process.

Forensic Science Service: Redundancy

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information his Department provided to staff at Forensic Science Service laboratories at  (a) Chepstow,  (b) Birmingham and  (c) Chorley on the closure and redundancy programme on 24 June 2009.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 2 July 2009
	On 24 June, the Forensic Science Service shared proposals about the approach to redundancy and operational site deployment with both Trade Union and Employee Forum representatives and copies of these proposals were made available to all FSS staff.
	The approach to redundancy proposal covers:
	Individual consultation
	Appeals process
	Maximising redeployment opportunities
	Trial periods
	Notice periods
	Support and outplacement
	Redundancy package
	Voluntary redundancy
	The operational site deployment proposal covers the approach, rationale and proposed site deployment based on the proposed move to national business streams. It provides details about:
	the options considered;
	the criteria against which the proposed option was selected (e.g. co-location of body fluid/DNA casework;
	available laboratory space;
	delivery of the national framework products/services and quality;
	lowest risk to customer disengagement;
	the operational considerations and impacts.

Forensic Science Service: Redundancy

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely number of redundancies at each Forensic Science Service laboratory in the next 12 months.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has stated that it anticipates a maximum of 800 redundancies across the company but at this formative stage of collective consultation the FSS cannot be definitive about the actual locations impacted or number of staff affected. Clear proposals around these will be shared as a part of the consultation process when the detail is available.

Forensic Science Service: Isle of Man

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from  (a) the police,  (b) coroners and  (c) the Government of the Isle of Man as part of his Departments consultation on the Forensic Science Service.

Alan Campbell: The consultation on the future structure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) Ltd. is being conducted by the company, not by the Home Office.
	The Home Office has received no representations from these parties, nor has the company itself.
	The FSS continues to carry out work for the police service in the Isle of Man under a service level agreement.
	The FSS has communicated with all its law enforcement customers as part of the transformation process, in order to develop a proposed new structure that will best serve the needs of the Criminal Justice Service.

Illegal Immigrants

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 364W, on illegal immigrants, how many  (a) removals and  (b) voluntary departures there were in each year since 2005.

Alan Johnson: The Home Office publishes statistics on removals and voluntary departures from the UK broken down by type on a quarterly and annual basis. The latest published information for the last four years can be found in Table 7c of the quarterly Control of Immigration: Quarterly statistical summary United Kingdom Q4 2008:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/immiq408.pdf

Immigrants: Somalia

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of Somali nationals in the UK who do not have leave to remain.

Phil Woolas: Since the phasing out of embarkation controls in 1994 no Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally or who have overstayed their leave to remain. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately and that remains the case.
	As part of the Governments 10-point plan for delivery, by 2010 over 95 per cent. of non-EEA foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country, rising to 100 per cent. by 2014. This is part of a sweeping programme of border protection which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, watch-list checks for all travellers before they arrive or depart from the UK and ID cards for foreign nationals.

Immigration Controls

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) highly-skilled migrants and  (b) dependents of highly-skilled migrants were given leave to enter the UK under (i) the highly-skilled migrants programme and (ii) tier 1 of the points-based system in the first quarter of 2009.

Phil Woolas: The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme was subsumed under Tier 1 of the Points Based System on 30 June 2008.
	In the first quarter of 2009, 7,803 non-EEA nationals were issued with visas to enter the UK as highly skilled migrants under Tier 1 of the Points Based System, and 3,468 non-EEA nationals were issued with visas to enter as their dependents (i.e. partner or child).

Immigration Officers: Training

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days' training has been given on average to a front line immigration officer on the introduction of the points-based immigration system.

Phil Woolas: On average front line Border Force officers complete at least three-quarters of a day dedicated to training on the points-based system.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of companies offering vehicle clamping services on private land to individuals and businesses.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The Security Industry Authority estimates that there are between 100 and 200 businesses in this sector.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the merits of regulating the activity of companies offering vehicle-clamping sources on private land in the same manner as the regulation by local authorities of parking companies.

Alan Campbell: h old ing answer 3 July 2009
	The Home Office launched a public consultation on 30 April 2009 on proposals for regulation of vehicle immobilisation businesses. The consultation document can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2009-vehicle-immobilisation/
	Many local authorities employ contractors to carry out enforcement of on-street parking regulations but they do not in that context regulate the businesses themselves.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people he expects to have access to the Independent Safeguarding Authority database; and with which organisations and individuals such people will be authorised to share information from the database.

David Hanson: The ISA manages a number of databases. Only ISA staff will have direct access to the databases and information will be shared with partner organisations and individuals in accordance with the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Of course, any employer with legitimate reason will be able to check if an individual is registered with the scheme.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a privacy impact assessment has been undertaken of the Independent Safeguarding Authority database; and whether the Information Commissioner has reviewed this.

David Hanson: The Vetting and Barring Scheme programme, which includes establishment of the Independent Safeguarding Authority is being delivered in phases. The programme is currently in its third phase and a Privacy Impact Assessment is scheduled to be completed with the full support and contribution of the Information Commissioners Office during the remaining three phases of the programme. Some aspects of the Privacy Impact Assessment have been captured in the first round of Business Impact Assessments and the Information Commissioner's Office is aware of this progress.

Mobile Phones: Registration

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for a compulsory register of mobile telephones; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: We have no plans to introduce a mandatory registration scheme for mobile phones and would want firm evidence of the effectiveness of any such scheme before deciding whether legislation, as proposed by some European member states, was appropriate.

Muslim Population

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the size of the Muslim population of the UK in each year since 1979.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimate has been made of the Muslim population of Britain in each year since 1979. (284443)
	The Census is the most commonly used source for statistics on religion by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with more recent information on religious affiliation (that is the identification with a religion irrespective of actual practice or belief) from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The way people respond to questions on religion is sensitive to what question is asked and how it is asked. Therefore because of differences between the Census and LFS in terms of question design and also coverage of the type of establishments in which people reside, data from these two sources cannot be compared.
	The 2001 Census was the first time that a religion question had been asked in the England and Wales (and Scotland) census, and revealed that 1,589,000 people in Great Britain identified as Muslim in 2001.
	A question on religious affiliation was introduced into the LFS in Great Britain in Spring 2002 using an extended version of the wording used in the England and Wales Census, but was not asked of people aged 16 and under until 2004. Consequently the earliest suitable estimates are from 2004 which cover people of all ages, and are shown in Table 1 attached.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is included at Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Muslim population( 1: ) Three month period ending September, 2004-08 ,  Great Britain, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Thousand 
			 2004 *1,870 
			 2005 *2,017 
			 2006 *2,142 
			 2007 *2,327 
			 2008 *2,422 
			 (1) All ages Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV≤5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV ≤10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV ≤20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Note: It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.  Source:  Labour Force Survey

Police Reform Act 2002

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 37-8W, on the Police Reform Act 2002, if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department's files relating to the provisions in part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 establishing a new system for handling complaints against the police; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: No. Departmental files on the legislative process and the formulation of policy are kept primarily for briefing purposes for Ministers.

Police: Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which police forces the chief constable is an acting chief constable; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: As of 6 July 2009, Essex, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire have an acting chief constable. For each of the three forces, the relevant police authority has a recruitment process underway for a substantive chief constable.

Police: Public Opinion

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals for the selection process for chief constables to take account of public opinion in the area for which the appointment is to be made.

David Hanson: Police authorities appoint chief constables, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and Police Regulations. Appointing a chief constable is a key means by which the authority can discharge its function of securing an efficient and effective police force for an area. Consideration of the public's views should inform the police authority view of the professional and strategic requirements which underpin the recruitment of a chief constable.
	The Policing and Crime Bill currently before Parliament strengthens the requirement on police authorities to consider the public's views in discharging any of their functions.

Police: Sports Events

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has issued guidance to the police on using powers under section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 to police sporting events.

David Hanson: The Home Office issued guidance on Directions to Leave (section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006) in August 2007. This power can be used where an individuals presence is likely to cause or contribute to the occurrence, repetition or continuance of alcohol-related crime and disorder. The guidance does not specifically mention sporting events, but there is no reason why the power cannot be used at these events, providing that the legislative tests have been met.
	A copy of the guidance can be found by using the web link as follows.
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/directions-to-leave-locality

Police: Uniforms

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department issues guidance on the taking of disciplinary action against police officers who refuse openly to display their badge numbers.

David Hanson: holding answer 30 June 2009
	The Home Office has not issued such guidance. The Home Office is currently considering the recommendations of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee on this and other issues in its recent report on the Policing of the G20 protests.
	If an officer is found to have deliberately removed his or her identification to avoid being held accountable, they breach the standards expected of police officers and would be liable to be dealt with under the disciplinary arrangements as set out in the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008.

Police: Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require police forces to purchase British-assembled vehicles for police force use.

David Hanson: The police service procures vehicles using framework arrangements managed by the National Policing Improvement Agency and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers. It is a requirement that these framework arrangements are procured in accordance with European Union procurement directives and United Kingdom public procurement regulations that prevent discrimination on national grounds.

Powers of Entry

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in his Departments review of state powers of entry; and what timetable has been set for publication of  (a) an interim and  (b) a final report on that review.

David Hanson: We have compiled a comprehensive list of powers of entry which is contained on the Powers of Entry Review webpage at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/powers-of-entry-review/
	The aim is to provide a final report by autumn 2009.

Security Guards: Licensing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations the Security Industry Authority has conducted into individuals  (a) working without a licence,  (b) working with fake licences,  (c) working with revoked or suspended licences,  (d) working with expired licences,  (e) working with licences that were fraudulently obtained and  (f) breaching Security Industry Authority licence conditions in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: Information on numbers of investigations is not held centrally by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The SIA does however have figures for the total number of outcomes of its investigations, since the relevant offences under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 were designated from June 2004 onwards:
	
		
			   Number issued 
			 Written warnings issued 1,092 
			 Improvement notices issued 87 
			 Licence revocations 12,632

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Data Protection

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of data loss by the Serious Organised Crime Agency have been recorded in each month of the last two years.

Alan Johnson: In the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 SOCA suffered no data losses which had to be reported to the Information Commissioner or the Cabinet Office.

Sexual Offences: Registration

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports he has received of the outcome of the recent cases  (a) R (F) v Secretary of State for Justice and  (b) R (Thompson) v Secretary for the Home Department before Lord Justice Latham, Mr Justice Underhill and Mr Justice Flaux; and if he will establish a means to review a requirement for indefinite registration on the Sex Offenders Register.

Alan Campbell: The cases of R (on the application of F and Thompson)  v. the Secretary of State for the Home Department were heard in the High Court on 19 December. The High Court held that the sex offender notification requirements are incompatible with article 8 (right to family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights in so far as offenders who are subject to these requirements (commonly referred to as being on the sex offenders' register) for life cannot apply for a review of whether they should remain on the register. The Home Office has appealed this decision. The case will be heard by the Court of Appeal on 9 July 2009. Until we know the outcome of the appeal, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further but clearly we will give careful consideration to the Court of Appeal's judgment.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos: Documents

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many asbestos records in each of the 14 categories for which HM Inspector of the Health and Safety Executive is the enforcing authority required to be received by the Health and Safety Executive have been destroyed since 1984.

Jonathan R Shaw: For records associated with asbestos licensing, HSE's Asbestos Licensing Unit (ALU) maintains its own electronic database containing records of applications and licences from 1984 onwards and holds details of work notifications received since 2001. This information is of a general nature concerning the licence holding organisations and would not normally contain any records on named individual employees. No records have been deleted by ALU.

Business: Disabled

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to inform businesses of their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government provide information for businesses on their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) through Business Link and through this Department's website for employers.
	Since 1997 the Government have undertaken a number of campaigns to raise awareness among businesses and other organisations of their obligations under the DDA.
	Most recently, the Employ ability campaign which concluded in March 2009 engaged with small and medium employers to improve their understanding of disability and their attitudes towards employing disabled people with long-term health conditions. The campaign website also included information on employer duties under the DDA.
	The Government also sponsor the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which provides advice and guidance to businesses about their duties under the DDA.

Carers Allowance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of carer's allowance in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information has been placed in the Library.

Children: Maintenance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the merits of bringing forward legislation to make unpaid child maintenance arrears a priority charge in respect of compensation paid to the non-resident parent with such arrears; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 8 June 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is currently considering whether the new powers set out in the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Act 2008 to impose a lump sum deduction orders will enable the commission to intercept amounts accruing or due to the non resident parent.

Departmental Correspondence

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of letters to her Department from hon. Members' parliamentary offices were answered within 30 days of the date of receipt in each quarter from January 2008 to March 2009.

Jim Knight: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members' correspondence. The report for 2008 was published on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 80-86WS.

Departmental Lost Property

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many laptop computers belonging to  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have been lost or stolen in the last five years.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the numbers of laptop computers which were recorded as lost or stolen in each of the years to 31 December 2008. The Department has introduced a number of security improvements, including a requirement that all laptops are encrypted.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 75 
			 2005 46 
			 2006 28 
			 2007 15 
			 2008 41 
		
	
	Currently the Department has just over 9,700 laptop computers in use.

Employment Zones Programme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers are taking part in  (a) stage one,  (b) stage two and  (c) stage three of the Employment Zones programme in each of the programme's designated areas.

Jim Knight: The information is not collated centrally and is available only at a disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Reform

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 45 of the Draft Legislative Programme 2009, Cm 7654, on what proposals relating to the reform of housing benefit she intends to consult.

Helen Goodman: As set out in the 2008 Welfare Reform White Paper, Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future, we intend to consult on how housing benefit can do more to ease the transition into work, promote value for money and ensure that the system is fair to working families not eligible for benefit.

Jobcentre Plus: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions she has had on funding for job centres.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State and her Ministers have regular discussions on Jobcentre Plus funding with a wide variety of people inside and outside the Department.

Jobcentre Plus: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) benefit delivery centres and  (b) customer-facing jobcentres were operated by Jobcentre Plus in each London borough in each year since 2002.

Jim Knight: holding answer 1 June 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Ruth Owen:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many (a) benefit delivery centres and; (b) customer-facing jobcentres were operated by Jobcentre Plus in each London borough in each year since 2002. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Mel Groves is currently on annual leave, I am replying in his absence.
	I have attached a table (two pages) which shows the number of offices in which benefits were processed and the number of Jobcentres in each London Borough from 2002 to 2009. Benefit Delivery Centres were not fully in place in London until 2007.
	
		
			  Local authority  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Barking and Dagenham 
			 Jobcentres 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Barnet 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 
			  
			  Bexley 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			  Brent 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Bromley 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			  
			  Camden 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Croydon 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 
			  
			  Ealing 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Enfield 
			 Jobcentres 0 0 0 4 4 4 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Greenwich 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 
			  
			  Hackney 
			 Jobcentres 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 
			  
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Haringey 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 
			  
			  Harrow 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Havering 
			 Jobcentres 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Hillingdon 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Hounslow 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Islington 
			 Jobcentres 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Kensington and Chelsea 
			 Jobcentres 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Kingston upon Thames 
			 Jobcentres 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			  
			  Lambeth 
			 Jobcentres 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Lewisham 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			  
			  Merton 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			  
			  Newham 
			 Jobcentres 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 
			  
			  Redbridge 
			 Jobcentres 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			  
			  Richmond upon Thames 
			 Jobcentres 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Southwark 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Sutton 
			 Jobcentres 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			  
			  Tower Hamlets 
			 Jobcentres 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Waltham Forest 
			 Jobcentres 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Wandsworth 
			 Jobcentres 5 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  
			  Westminster 
			 Jobcentres 5 5 5 4 2 2 2 3 
			 Benefit Processing Offices 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the £1.7 billion funding for Jobcentre Plus announced in the 2009 Budget will be allocated for  (a) additional staff at each grade and  (b) contractors.

Jim Knight: Budget 2009 announced an additional £1.7 billion to DWP for Jobcentre Plus customers over the next two years, to 2010-11. £1.1 billion was allocated to Jobcentre Plus for staff and infrastructure to deliver front line services. £0.6 billion was allocated for Employment Programmes to be delivered by third party provision.
	A breakdown of the planned staff costs over the two years by grade is currently unavailable. Further detailed planning is in progress to ensure that we can manage customer demand with the staff resource we have available.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to reply to the letter to her predecessor of 18 May 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S Mahmood.

Jim Knight: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 30 June 2009.

Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations her Department has received from local authorities on the implications for local authority budgets of the provisions of the draft Pensions (Automatic Enrolment) Regulations 2009.

Angela Eagle: My Department has received two written representations from the Local Government Employers and one written representation from the Communities and Local Government about the implications for local authority budgets of the draft Pensions (Automatic Enrolment) Regulations 2009.

Progress2Work Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many caseworkers in  (a) England,  (b) Cambridgeshire and  (c) Peterborough constituency offer assistance to jobseekers through the Progress2Work scheme.

Jim Knight: This information regarding the number of caseworkers in England is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. One caseworker offers support in Cambridgeshire and one caseworker offers support in Peterborough.

Progress2Work Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers did not remain in work or training for more than 13 weeks under the Progress2Work scheme since its inception.

Jim Knight: Between its inception in 2001 to 30 April 2009, progress2work has assisted 13,471 customers into employment and placed 18,832 onto a range of training courses. Of those customers who we know have found work, 8,243 did not remain in employment for longer than 13 weeks and of those customers who we know found training, 5,400 did not remain in it for more than 13 weeks.
	 Notes:
	Figures for the number of customers leaving education courses is unobtainable, therefore the figure of 5,400 is for mainstream and specialist training only.
	 Source:
	ORC International

Progress2Work Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many caseworkers in  (a) England,  (b) Essex and  (c) Castle Point are offering support to jobseekers through the Progress2Work scheme.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of caseworkers in England offering support to jobseekers through the progress2work scheme is not collated centrally and would be available only at a disproportionate cost. This is because the size and volume of each progress2work contract varies substantially across each Jobcentre Plus District. However, we recommend that progress2work contractors employ one caseworker per 50 customers.
	Five caseworkers are offering support in Essex and one caseworker is offering support in Castle Point.

Social Security Benefits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum period between receipt of an application for (i) housing and (ii) council tax benefit and the first payment arising from such a claim was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 2 July 2009
	In the fourth quarter of 2007-08 the national average time for processing new housing benefit claims was 25.5 calendar days and for new council tax benefit claims was 23.9 calendar days.
	For the same period the maximum time for processing new housing benefit claims at local authority level (not case level) was an average of calendar 66.6 days, and the maximum time for processing new council tax benefit claims at local authority level (not case level) was an average of 62.2 calendar days.
	 Source:
	Quarterly Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Administration Data.

Social Security Benefits

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the amount of  (a) housing benefit,  (b) council tax benefit,  (c) industrial injuries disablement benefit,  (d) carer's allowance,  (e) jobseeker's allowance and  (f) incapacity benefit unclaimed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The latest estimates of take-up of means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based) are published in the report 'Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2007-08'. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	Estimates of the sum of unclaimed industrial injuries disablement benefit, carer's allowance and incapacity benefit are not available.

Social Security Benefits

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much  (a) citizens of other EU member states and  (b) non-EU citizens claimed in benefits in the UK in 2008;
	(2)  how many  (a) citizens of other EU member states and  (b) non-EU citizens claimed benefits in the UK in 2008.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Applications

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for  (a) housing and  (b) council tax benefit have been (i) made and (ii) processed in (A) 2007-08, (B) 2008-09 and (C) 2009-10 to date.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 2 July 2009
	Data are not yet available for the years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	In 2007-08 1,380,865 housing benefit applications and 1,532,535 council tax benefit applications were processed by local authorities.
	 Source:
	Quarterly Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Administration Data.

State Retirement Pensions

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people had been waiting for over four weeks to receive state pension payments at the latest date for which information is available.

Angela Eagle: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1381-82W, on home responsibilities protection, how many women have been contacted; how many women have received lump sums of backdated pension; how much has been paid in backdated pensions; and what estimate she has made of the amount which will have been paid out by the end of the exercise.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 July 2 009
	The exercise to contact women who may have missed out on home responsibilities protection (HRP) started on 6 July. It is expected to take around two years to complete. We are not yet able to give an estimate of the amount which will have been paid out by the end of the exercise. Our preliminary analysis that somewhere in the region of 100,000 to 150,000 women may not be receiving their full entitlement to state pension because HRP has not been applied in its calculation is unchanged.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Apprentices: Unemployment

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people became unemployed after ending an apprenticeship in  (a) Peterborough and  (b) Cambridgeshire in 2008.

Iain Wright: We do not currently hold data centrally about the total number of apprentices made redundant. Arrangements are in place from 1 August 2009 onwards to record the number of apprentices who are made redundant. Working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) we have established a matching service to help apprentices at risk of redundancy to find alternative employment and to complete their apprenticeship. More generally, providers and the LSC have procedures to advise and relocate apprentices, in cases where providers or employers fail, to help ensure that they are able to continue in work and complete their apprenticeship. The £140 million package announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister for an additional 35,000 apprenticeship places will help fund new provision in both the public sector and private sector, and will extend the opportunities available to people facing redundancy.

Boarding Schools: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils who boarded at school were recorded by the 2009 school census as being looked after children.

Vernon Coaker: Provisional figures show that there were 390 pupils who boarded at school and were classed as being looked after as at January 2009.
	The information provided is from the School Census however this is not the usual source of data for information on looked after children. Usually we would use the looked after children database but this does not hold all the details requested here.
	The School Census does not cover all looked after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training. It is also possible that the School Census undercounts the number of looked after children in primary, secondary and special schools.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which local education authorities have been successful in one or more applications for funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and how much funding has been awarded to each such authority;
	(2)  which local education authorities that have been successful in one or more applications under the Building Schools for the Future programme contain three-tier schools in either all or part of the authority.

Vernon Coaker: The following tables set out the funding agreed for local authorities in BSF.
	
		
			Funding (£000) 
			  Wave  Local authority  Conventional  PFI credits 
			 1 Bradford 9,461 111,904 
			 1 Bristol 31,959 157,173 
			 1 Greenwich 57,226 183,510 
			 1 Knowsley 3,508 249,984 
			 1 Lancashire 77,895 254,252 
			 1 Leeds 166,767 185,743 
			 1 Leicester 164,889 151,317 
			 1 Lewisham 17,793 118,971 
			 1 Manchester 203,620 0 
			 1 Newcastle(1) 84,968 169,186 
			 1 Newham 98,153 66,484 
			 1 Sheffield 76,375 88,999 
			 1 Solihull 33,686 86,790 
			 1 South Tyneside and Gateshead (joint project) 158,555 68,672 
			 1 Sunderland 120,506 0 
			 1 Waltham Forest 39,988 53,910 
			 2 Birmingham 260,605 103,655 
			 2 Hackney 152,016 0 
			 2 Haringey 176,634 0 
			 2 Islington 84,711 112,838 
			 2 Kingston upon Hull 278,811 151,627 
			 2 Lambeth 87,123 0 
			 2 Liverpool 162,683 0 
			 2 Middlesbrough 115,869 0 
			 2 Nottingham 146,512 75,913 
			 2 Tower Hamlets 102,470 0 
			 3 Barnsley 28,498 332,585 
			 3 Bradford 10,183 214,782 
			 3 Derbyshire 60,274 64,945 
			 3 Durham 70,041 90,001 
			 3 Kent(1) 173,164 98,840 
			 3 Lewisham 68,439 112,499 
			 3 Luton 122,774 36,279 
			 3 North Lincolnshire 89,416 0 
			 3 Salford 16,953 222,677 
			 3 Sandwell 137,199 62,874 
			 3 Southwark 149,596 89,672 
			 3 Tameside 80,161 131,664 
			 3 Westminster 159,603 0 
			 4 Blackburn 85,032 118,636 
			 4 Bristol 133,515 0 
			 4 Cambridgeshire(1) 86,514 62,213 
			 4 Coventry 201,811 366,941 
			 4 Essex 30,637 168,762 
			 4 Hertfordshire(1) 134,461 148,196 
			 4 Rochdale 122,711 131,992 
			 4 Sheffield 232,563 38,393 
			 4 Somerset(1) 7,927 180,442 
			 4 Telford and Wrekin 225,724 0 
			 5 Camden 179,648 135,228 
			 5 Derby 193,322 115,783 
			 5 Ealing 235,005 152,624 
			 5 Greenwich 76,506 62,342 
			 5 Hartlepool 109,737 0 
			 5 Lambeth 222,706 0 
			 5 St. Helens 96,565 124,368 
			 5 Sandwell 128,949 103,141 
			 5 Wolverhampton 279,968 143,421 
			 (1) Authorities which have three-tier schools in all or part of the authority. 
		
	
	Funding levels have yet to be agreed for the following projects.
	These projects have started in BSF, but have yet to achieve approval of the outline business case, which confirms the funding.
	
		
			  Wave  Local authority 
			 1 Stoke-on-Trent 
			 4 Barking and Dagenham 
			 4 Kent 
			 4 Manchester 
			 4 Oldham 
			 5 Birmingham 
			 5 Blackpool 
			 5 Bradford 
			 5 Derbyshire 
			 5 Kensington and Chelsea 
			 5 Kent 
			 5 North East Lincolnshire 
			 5 Newham 
			 5 Nottingham 
			 5 Tower Hamlets 
			 5 Waltham Forest 
			 5 Wandsworth 
			 6 Bedford(1) 
			 6 Bournemouth and Poole(1) (joint project) 
			 6 Doncaster 
			 6 Durham 
			 6 Essex 
			 6 Halton 
			 6 Hammersmith and Fulham 
			 6 Hillingdon 
			 6 Kent 
			 6 Kirklees(1) 
			 6 Liverpool 
			 6 Luton 
			 6 Nottinghamshire 
			 6 Portsmouth 
			 6 Redcar and Cleveland 
			 6 Stockton-on-Tees 
			 6 Suffolk(1) 
			 6a Enfield 
			 6a Hounslow 
			 6a Rotherham 
			 6a Walsall 
			 6a North Tyneside(1) 
			 6a Worcestershire(1) 
			 6a Staffordshire(1) 
			 6a Southampton 
			 (1) Authorities which have three-tier schools in all or part of the authority.

Carers: Yorkshire

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the number of young carers in  (a) Barnsley,  (b) Doncaster and  (c) South Yorkshire.

Dawn Primarolo: The 2001 Census, which is the only source of nationally comparable data on the number of carers of all ages, indicated that there were some 700 children and young people aged under 18 in Barnsley, 900 in Doncaster and 4,000 in South Yorkshire who were offering some care to family members, neighbours, friends or others.
	The Census records young people who are described by the adults in the household as offering care to their families or communities. This includes young people who are responsible for the care of a family member (which is how young carers are usually defined) plus others who may provide more occasional support such as child care for their parents or care for neighbours and friends.

Child Workforce Development Council

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what budget he has allocated to the Child Workforce Development Council for  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13 and  (d) each future year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The Childrens Workforce Development Council has been allocated a core grant allocation of £31,003,000 for 2010-11 as part of the comprehensive spending review agreements. The additional contributions for specific programme delivery have not yet been agreed.
	The financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 are beyond the extent of this comprehensive spending review cycle and therefore information is not available.

Child Workforce Development Council

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time equivalent staff the Child Workforce Development Council employed in each year since its establishment.

Dawn Primarolo: Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC) was established in 2005. The following table details the average monthly number of full-time equivalent staff employed by CWDC in each year since its establishment:
	
		
			   Permanent  Other  Total 
			 2005-06(1) 10  10 
			 2006-07(1) 43  43 
			 2007-08(2) 99 15 114 
			 2008-09(3) 133 18 151 
			 (1) Taken from published Annual Reports and Financial Statements. (2) As will be restated in draft audited accounts 2008-09 to be laid before summer recess 2009. (3) Taken from draft audited accounts 2008-09.

Children in Care

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward secondary legislation under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 to provide that  (a) children in care shall receive a visit from a local authority representative at least once a month,  (b) adults who have been in care may be considered for appointment as independent visitors by local authorities,  (c) a child may be placed outside a local authority's area if it is in the child's best interest,  (d) before any child in care is placed back home with a parent a local authority must ensure that (i) it is safe for the child, (ii) the parent or parents can look after the child and (iii) the child is happy to go home and  (e) the duties of independent review officers shall include (A) keeping in touch with each child in care, (B) listening to children's views, (C) making sure a child in care understands the local authority's planned arrangements and (D) checking action taken against care plans and reviews.

Dawn Primarolo: We intend to tackle the issues raised in the question as follows:
	 (a) Section 15 of the Children and Young Persons Act places a duty on local authorities to arrange for all looked after children to be visited by a representative of theirs and for all looked-after-children to have available to them advice, support and assistance when they seek it. We shall be issuing regulations about how local authorities should discharge its duties under this section. We intend to impose a general minimum requirement setting the frequency of social work visits to looked-after-children and we will specify in addition that visits should also take place at the request of the child or their carer. We will be consulting on draft regulations and guidance including the frequency of visits in due course.
	 (b) We will also be using new regulations to broaden the categories of children who could be provided with an independent visitor. Care experienced adults might well make very suitable independent visitors for looked-after-children and we will consider them alongside other options.
	 (c) Section 8 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 sets out the considerations that local authorities must have regard to when they are considering making a placement for a looked-after-child. We will be strengthening regulations and guidance so that all placement decisions must be based on a thorough assessment of the needs of the individual child concerned which, for some children is likely to result in a placement away from their home community and out of their local authority area.
	 (d) Our strengthened regulations and guidance will say that every looked-after-child must have a care plan based on thorough detailed assessment setting out how the local authority intends to respond to their needs. All care plans must take into account the child's wishes and feelings. Plans to re-unify looked-after-children with their families must take account of children's safety and include an assessment of how the child and their family's circumstances have changed so that their parents are able to resume the child's care.
	 (e) Section 10 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 specifically strengthens the role of the independent reviewing officer (IRO) by:
	Making it clear that one of the IRO's core responsibilities is to ensure that children and young people are able to contribute meaningfully to their care plan and its reviews.
	Imposing a new legal duty on IROs to ensure that due consideration is given by the local authority to the child's wishes and feelings.
	Ensure that each child will have a named IRO, so that a child can be confident that one person will offer continuity and have oversight of their case.
	Through new regulations and guidance, we intend to specify that every child must have their own named IRO and that IROs must meet with the young person in advance of the review meeting. This is to ensure that they understand the purpose of the review and are given the opportunity to fully contribute to the discussion about the plan for their future care. Every review should provide a real opportunity to scrutinise the child's care plan to ensure that it continues to offer an appropriate response to the full range of their needs.

Children in Care: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were in residential care in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 4 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 640-45W. This response showed the number of children in residential care at 31 March, by local authority for years ending 31 March 2000 to 2008.
	Merseyside is made up of the following local authorities: Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens. Figures cannot be provided below local authority level.

Children In Care: Missing Persons

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children went missing from care homes in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year from 1997 to 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 12 June 2009,  Official Report, column 1068W. Information on the number of looked after children that went missing from care homes was not collected prior to 2001. This information cannot be provided below local authority level.

Children in Care: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of looked-after children in Staffordshire achieved results equivalent to or higher than the average results achieved by all children in  (a) England and  (b) Staffordshire in each key stage examination in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Published information for children looked after continuously for 12 months at 30 September each year is available in the local authority tables via the following links:
	 2004tables 2 to 4
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000580/index.shtml
	 2005tables 2 to 5
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000655/index.shtml
	 2006 tables 2 to 5
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000727/index.shtml
	 2007 tables 2 to 5
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/index.shtml
	 2008 tables 2 to 5
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000842/index.shtml
	All tables show the attainment for each key stage for looked after children compared to all children. This shows the numbers and percentages achieving the expected level which are provided instead of the average results.
	Data for key stage 1 are not included for 2004 because this was the trial year for key stage 1 teacher assessmentsas this took place in a sample of schools; it is not possible to provide a comparison between the attainments of looked after children and all children.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many local authorities did not meet the ContactPoint readiness assessment 7 deadline of 26 June 2009.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 2 July 2009
	All but five local authorities had completed RA7 (ContactPoint readiness assessment 7) by the checkpoint date of 26 June. All other local authorities completed RA7 in the following week.

Children: Protection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what changes he is planning to the integrated children's system;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of implementing proposed changes to the integrated children's system.

Dawn Primarolo: Baroness Delyth Morgan's letter to all directors of children's services on 22 June was accompanied by a circular setting out the principles which will guide future development of the Integrated Children's System. These principles make clear that it is the responsibility of local authorities to determine how information systems can be used to support the delivery of social care services.
	The Government will work with practitioners to simplify the national specifications of ICS, local authorities will not be required to comply with the published specifications, although this does not alter their obligations to comply with their statutory duties towards children and their families.
	A copy of Baroness Delyth Morgan's letter is available from:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/integratedchildrenssystem/ics/
	The detailed local consequences of these changes will depend upon the decisions of individual local authorities. It is a matter for the authorities to determine how to invest their budgets in the maintenance and upgrading of their IT systems,, and information on this expenditure is not collected centrally. The Department has indicated that it will support this expenditure with a capital grant for ICS of £6.4 million in 2009-10.

Children's Play: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has allocated for children's play schemes in  (a) the London Borough of Enfield and  (b) Enfield North constituency in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: Enfield are one of 30 play pathfinder authorities across England and began receiving play funding from April 2008, as part of the first wave of the childrens plan play capital investment programme. The authority has already received £594,107 capital funding and £138,510 revenue funding during 2008-09 which was used to successfully deliver 12 new/improved public play areas in the borough. They have been allocated a further £1,569,237 capital funding and £218,633 revenue funding to be spent in 2009-10 to deliver another 16 public play areas and one adventure playground.
	The play capital investment programme will provide capital and revenue funding to every one of the 152 top-tier local authorities in England in order to develop/improve play spaces. Decisions on where the capital funding is spent within local authority boundaries are taken locally, based on grant requirements around improved play spaces being provided where they are most needed and based on a robust consultation process with local children and young people, families and wider communities.
	We are encouraging all Members of Parliament to proactively engage with their local play capital programmes as they roll out, and we are asking local authorities to ensure that their local Members of Parliament and council elected members are appropriately consulted, and briefed, about where the capital funding is spent.

English Language: Standards

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on Englands position in international rankings of countries in which English is the first language for educational attainment in English in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: There have been no international comparisons studies designed specifically to test English as a first language.

Families: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what services his Department provides to assist young families in Coventry.

Dawn Primarolo: Supporting families is a key priority for the Department for Children Schools and Families. Over the current spending review period (2008-11) Coventry has been allocated approximately £21 million in capital and revenue funding to support the development of childrens centres, early years and child care provision in the area, including outreach work for the most disadvantaged. There are currently 20 designated Sure Start Childrens Centres offering services to around 15,987 children under five and their families, with a further three centres in development.
	Over £75 million is being made available nationally for 2009-10 for targeted initiatives to support families with high levels of need, with a particular focus on parenting skills. This will enable all local authorities to have family intervention projects, the parenting early intervention programme (for parents of 8-13 year olds) and to each employ two expert parenting practitioners.

Funding: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has allocated to teacher recruitment in Milton Keynes in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much funding the Government has allocated to reducing class sizes in Milton Keynes in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Local authorities are responsible for the distribution of funding (including funding provided through the dedicated schools grant (DSG)) to schools in their area. Each local authority in consultation with their Schools Forum can choose to include a factor in their funding formula to direct resources to schools with infant classes to enable them to meet the class size duty. The Department does not collect information on how much funding was allocated to recruiting teachers for Milton Keynes schools.

Integrated Children's System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2009,  Official Report, column 392W, on the Integrated Children's System, 
	(1)  who was responsible for the Quality Protects Management Information project when the Integrated Children's System requirements were developed; how many  (a) local authority officers and  (b) frontline social workers were consulted at each stage of development; which commercial suppliers of children's social care systems were consulted; with which contracted specialists his Department collaborated; and if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and commercial suppliers connected with the Integrated Children's System;
	(2)  how many meetings there were with  (a) local authorities and  (b) front-line social workers in developing the requirements for local authorities to procure systems from IT suppliers to support delivery of the model.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 24 June 2009
	The Quality Protects Management Information project was the responsibility of the then Secretary of State for Health when the original Integrated Children's System (ICS) requirements were developed between 2001 and 2003.
	10 consultation events were held in 2000 with over 500 representatives from organisations responsible for child welfare in England and Wales, including local authority social services departments, private and voluntary agencies, the then Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, pilot post-qualifying child care courses, software houses, and a number of other interested individuals. Two additional events in Wales drew together an inter-agency audience in the context of the Children First programme. As part of the consultation exercise, specific groups consulted included foster carers, children, young people, families with disabled children and families from ethnic minority groups. Information on exactly how many meetings were held with either local authorities or frontline social workers or on how many local authority officers and frontline social workers were consulted at each stage of development is not available.
	Following this exercise, the Department of Health (DH) published the conceptual framework for ICS as a consultation document (Integrated Children's System: Working with Children in Need and Their Families) addressed to Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSRs) in December 2002. DH and the Welsh Assembly Government addressed a further consultation document (Information Outputs for Children's Social Services A Conceptual Framework) to CSSRs in March 2003.
	The commercial systems suppliers consulted by DH were OLM, Anite, Careworks, and TCO. Anite's ICS interests were purchased in 2008 by Northgate; TCO was acquired in 2005 by CACI.
	Following machinery of Government changes in 2003, the Department for Children, Schools and Families took responsibility for ICS. Capgemini consultants were contracted by DCSF to conduct a readiness review of local authorities' ICS preparedness in 2006. These consultants were then retained to prepare industry-standard requirements documentation, in response to feedback from local authorities during the review.
	Correspondence with IT suppliers contracting for ICS systems is the responsibility of those individual local authorities which either are, or might wish to become, their customers. The Department's direct relations with these suppliers concern product assessment activities undertaken to assist local authorities in light of the readiness review. The results of these assessments have all been published on the Department's website at
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/integratedchildrenssystem/icstechnicalresources/tech/
	under the heading Supplier compliance summary. Other exchanges antecedent to the published assessments are covered by non-disclosure agreements, as they relate to commercially-sensitive information concerning product compliance and performance.

Mathematics

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on England's position in international ranking in educational attainment in mathematics in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Information on England's international rating in mathematics over the last five years is available for pupils aged 10, 14 and 15 from two studies: the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 at ages 10 and 14 and, to a lesser extent, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 at age 15. England was ranked 7th out of 36 countries at age 10 and 7th out of 49 countries at age 14 in TIMSS 2007. England was ranked 25th out of 57 countries in PISA 2006. However, it should be noted that PISA 2006 did not test the full range of mathematical competencies as mathematics was a subsidiary subject in the study and less than one-third of the available assessment time was given over to it.
	Further information is available from the TIMSS 2007 and PISA 2006 National Reports for England and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries.

National Strategies Field Force

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 996W, on schools: standards, how many field forces there are; what the remit of the National Strategies Field Force is; and what expenditure his Department incurred on each of the 10 largest field forces in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: We do not hold a definitive list of field forces focused on school standards. One of the principal field forces in this area is the national strategies, which has a wide remit for raising standards of achievement and rates of progression for children and young people in all phases of schools and early years settings. Its principal remit is to support both schools and local authorities to improve teaching and learning, and to develop strategies for whole school improvement. The cost of this field force is given within our answer of 24 June.
	In our answer of 21 April we estimated a figure of around £90 milliom in 2008-09 to cover all field force advisers that work directly with LAs and Children's Trust partners. It is difficult to provide a precise breakdown of expenditure on each of these, since they are delivered through a range of mechanismssome are directly contracted (so the cost of advisors is incorporated within a larger contract), some are located in Government Offices as secondees, and some are employed directly by DCSF or its NDPBs. However, based on the information available, our estimate of the largest (in terms of 2008-09 expenditure) 10 field forces working directly with LAs and Children's Trust partners are listed as follows:
	National Strategies Regional and Local Advisers, £30 million
	Partnership for Schools Employed and Contracted Advisers c£10 million
	Sure Start Children's Centres Advisers, c£8 million
	Extended Services Support Advisers, c£6 million
	TDA Regional Advisers, c£5 million
	Children's Services Advisers (in Government Offices), c£4 million
	Together for Disabled Children, advising on short-breaks and parent forums for disabled children and their families, c£3 million
	14-19 Regional Field Workers, c£3 million
	Academies Advisers, c£2 million
	14-19 Regional Advisers c£2 million
	Further information on the role of every field force is set out in the National Prospectus for Children's Services Improvement Support, a copy of which will be available in both Libraries.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupil referral units in each local authority area  (a) provide places for teenage mothers,  (b) have child care facilities,  (c) make provision for children with (i) special educational need and (ii) emotional and behavioural difficulties,  (d) offer full-time provision and  (e) offer tuition by other providers, according to records held on the Edubase database.

Vernon Coaker: This requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Source:
	EduBase 2.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parents in each local authority area appealed against their childs school allocation  (a) successfully and  (b) unsuccessfully in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information, covering the years 1997/98 to 2006/07, has been placed in the House Libraries. Information for 2007/08 will be published shortly.

Schools: Playing Fields

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools have sold land which had been used as playing fields in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: holding answer 4 June 2009
	Before 1997 there were no figures collected about the loss of school playing fields but there was widespread public concern over the increasing loss of such facilities. Schools and local authorities could sell off playing fields without any restriction and use the sale proceeds however they wished.
	Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 stopped the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of States approval before they can dispose of their land. The legislation sets out clear criteria for obtaining consent which includes ensuring that the land is genuinely surplus to schools and community groups. Also, any sale proceeds must be used to improve sports or educational facilities.
	Since 1997 the Secretary of State has approved 203 applications that involve the sale of an area of land capable of forming a sports pitch of at least 0.2 hectares at schools in England. Of these 99 were at schools that had closed and the land was not needed by any other local school. Of the 104 applications at operating schools, the proceeds of sale will be used to improve the on-site sports facilities in 86 cases. In the other 18 applications the schools will benefit from improved educational facilities. A list of the schools concerned will be placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Transport

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils in  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) special schools were recorded by the 2009 school census as (i) walking and (ii) cycling to school; and for how many pupils no transport data were recorded by that census.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1, 2 ) and special schools( 3) : Mode of travel( 4) , as at January 2009 (provisional), England 
			   Number of pupils who walk to school  Percentage of pupils who walk to school  Number of pupils who cycle to school  Percentage of pupils who cycle to school  Number of pupils for whom travel data were not supplied  Percentage of pupils for whom travel data were not supplied 
			 Primary 2,262,990 55.5 39,520 1.0 150,100 3.7 
			 Secondary 1,296,930 39.7 94,890 2.9 219,640 6.7 
			 Special 2,610 3.0 230 0.3 3,970 4.5 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes CTCs and academies.  (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools.  (4) The collection of mode of travel to school data are only mandatory at pupil level for schools with an approved school travel plan. Data were received for 7,057,190 of the total number of 7,430,910 solely registered pupils (excludes boarders).   Source:  School Census.

Social Services: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from injury at work was among those social services employees for which his Department is responsible in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Children and families' social care workers are employed locally by a range of organisations across the statutory, third and private sectors. The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not collect employer-level data about absences of social care staff or the costs of such absences.

Sure Start Programme: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much money his Department allocated to Sure Start initiatives in Coventry in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: Funding for Sure Start Childrens Centres and predecessor Sure Start local programmes is allocated to local authorities as part of the Sure Start, Early Years and child care grant. The following table sets out Coventry City councils childrens centre revenue and capital allocations for the current spending review period, 2008-11. Local authorities have flexibility within the terms of the grant to decide how much they spend on centres.
	
		
			   £ 
			   08/09  09/10  10/11 
			 Childrens centre revenue(1) 6,347,490 7,183,175 7,799,339 
			 Childrens centre capital 342,131 705,093 440,460 
			 (1) Revenue figures include the element within the Sure Start Early Years and Child care Grant that is ringfenced for childrens centres based on the earlier Sure Start local programmes in Coventry.

Teachers: Vetting

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who have not had a Criminal Records Bureau check; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have not made any estimate of the number of teachers who may not have had a Criminal Records Bureau check. All teachers currently working in the school workforce will have had either an enhanced CRB disclosure or a check against the old police records system if they were in post prior to the introduction of the CRB, and all teachers will also have been checked against the list of those barred from working in educational establishments (List 99). All new appointments, both teaching and support staff, in the school workforce now require an enhanced CRB disclosure under the terms of the School Staffing (England) (No2) Regulations 2006, and those regulations also require schools to maintain a record of the vetting checks they have carried out on their staff. From November 2010 all new appointments to the school sector will have to register with the new vetting and barring scheme, and all existing staff in school will have to register by 2015. The ISA registration process incorporates a CRB check. The CRB collect some statistics on the volume of checks being made in the education sector on a monthly basis.
	However, this is for all school staff not just teachers, and some teachers will have had more than one check if they are involved in supply work or work for more than one employer so we would be unable to make an estimate of the number of teachers who have not had a CRB check.

Young People: Carers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the number of young carers in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby.

Dawn Primarolo: The 2001 census, which is the only source of nationally comparable data on the number of carers of all ages, indicated that there were some 6,000 children and young people aged under 18 in Merseyside who were offering some care to family members, neighbours, friends or others. Data for Crosby are not available but for the Sefton area the figure was 1,000.
	The census records young people who are described by the adults in the household as offering care to their families or communities. This includes young people who are responsible for the care of a family member (which is how young carers are usually defined) plus others who may provide more occasional support such as child care for their parents or care for neighbours and friends.

Young People: Public Participation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on (a) the effectiveness of his Departments arrangements for the engagement of young people in decision-making and (b) means to increase such engagement.

Diana Johnson: The Government are committed to listening to and reflecting the views of children and young people. We believe that children and young people should be given opportunities to express their opinion in matters that affect their lives.
	For example, the Children and Youth Board (CYB) regularly helps shape the Departments thinking and policy making. Most recently the CYB has helped shape the Childrens Plan, the Byron Review, and the Play Strategy.
	Our White Paper published on 30 June, Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future: building a 21(st) century schools system sets out an entitlement that all pupils should have the opportunity to say what they think of their school and how it could be improved.
	Aiming High, the Departments 10 Year Youth Strategy, set out our commitment to engaging young people in decision making at a local level by empowering them to have greater influence over the services that are provided for young people in their area. Over one and a half million young people have benefited from initiatives such as Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds which require not only that funding applications are made by young people, but that young people are part of the panel that decides which applications are successful. An independent evaluation carried out last year showed that the empowerment of young people through these funds is not only leading to increased participation in higher quality things to do and places to go, but challenging stereotypes and perceptions of young people in our communities.
	We have also issued Working Together: Listening to the voices of children and young people which promotes the participation of children and young people in decision-making in school, local authority and related settings. 99 per cent. of schools have pupil voice activity and 95 per cent. have a student council, (Institute of Education, September 2007).

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of people undertaking apprenticeships are  (a) new recruits to and  (b) existing staff in the organisation employing them.

Kevin Brennan: This information is not currently collected. In England, more than 130,000 employers offer Apprenticeships because they understand the benefits that apprentices bring to their businessincreased productivity, improved competitiveness and a committed and competent workforce. Employers use Apprenticeships to ensure that their workforce has the practical skills and qualifications they need either as part of an organisations recruitment strategy or as part of their workforce development strategy.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of apprentices starting this year who are  (a) new employees hired as apprentices and  (b) existing employees converting to apprentices; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: This information is not currently collected.

Basic Skills

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the  (a) research and  (b) total cost was of preparing and publishing the Evaluation of the impact of skills for life learning report.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education on 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1065W and on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1310W.

Business: Political Donations

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit small companies from making donations to political parties.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have no current plans to do so.
	The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, and the Political Parties and Elections Bill which is before Parliament, require certain conditions to be satisfied in order for donors to be deemed permissible. Under the 2000 Act, for a company to be a permissible donor, it must be registered under the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, incorporated within the United Kingdom or another member state in the European Union, and must carry on business in the United Kingdom. The Political Parties and Elections Bill contains measures to strengthen the controls on political donationsincluding those from companiesby requiring all donations over £7,500 to be accompanied by a declaration as to the identity of the true donor.

Businesses: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Tamworth constituency were declared bankrupt in each of the last five years.

Ian Lucas: Table 1 shows the number of bankruptcies among traders in Tamworth constituency for each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Year( 1)  Bankruptcies among traders in Tamworth constituency( 2, 3) 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 10 
			 2006 14 
			 2007 5 
			 2008 16 
			 (1 )The Insolvency Trade Classification (ITC) was used to classify trading-related bankruptcies (and company liquidations) until end September 2006. From October 2006 the Standard Industry Classification 2003 has been in use and there have been associated changes to the method used to identify traders among bankrupts. The period covered should not, therefore, be treated as a consistent time series. (2 )Classifying bankrupts into electoral geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a constituency is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided. (3 )In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the above table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to about 3 per cent. in 2008.  Note: Company liquidation statistics are not currently available on a regional basis within England and Wales.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1198-99W, on chronic fatigue syndrome, who the members of the panel of experts are; and how often it has  (a) met and  (b) reported on its findings.

David Lammy: The membership of the expert group set up by the Medical Research Council is as follows:
	Professor Jill Belch (Chair)University of Dundee,
	Professor Stephen HolgateUniversity of Southampton,
	Dr. Esther CrawleyUniversity of Bristol,
	Professor Philip CowenUniversity of Oxford,
	Professor Malcolm JacksonUniversity of Liverpool,
	Dr. Jonathan KerrSt George's University of London,
	Professor Ian KimberUniversity of Manchester,
	Professor Hugh PerryUniversity of Southampton,
	Dr. Derek PhebyNational CFS/ME Observatory,
	Professor Anthony PinchingPennisula Medical School,
	Dr. Charles ShepherdME Association,
	Sir Peter SpencerAction for ME,
	Professor Peter WhiteBart's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
	The Expert Group has met twice, in December 2008 and March 2009. The notes of those meetings will be published on the MRC website shortly, and will then be accessible to the public.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what projects the Export Credits Guarantee Department has supported through its Fixed Rate Export Finance scheme since 1 January 2009; and what the  (a) date of approval,  (b) amount of exposure at that date,  (c) UK company concerned,  (d) destination country for the export and  (e) project or product involved was in each case.

Ian Lucas: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has provided support for one project through its Fixed Rate Export Finance (FREF) scheme since 1 January 2009. The following details are provided as requested:
	 (a) 21 January 2009
	 (b) ECGD provided FREF support for $20 million out of a total loan of $42 million guaranteed by the Department. (ECGD obtained reinsurance for the remaining $22 million from COFACEthe French Export Credit Agency)
	 (c) Balfour Beatty Rail Projects Ltd
	 (d) Chile
	 (e) Extension of the Santiago Metro (supply of track, switches and crossings).

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of applications from  (a) school leavers and  (b) mature students to higher education institutions for a first degree course in (i) a science, technology, engineering or mathematics subject and (ii) all subjects from school leavers were from (A) women and (B) men in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Subject coding changed in 2002/03 so time series before and after are not necessarily comparable.
	The latest figures showing applications by age are shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Applications to full-time first degree courses via UCAS from applicants aged  18 and  under 
			   STEM subjects  All subjects 
			   Female  Male  Total  Female  Male  Total 
			  Number   
			 1997 190,255 249,085 439,340 581,881 496,566 1,078,447 
			 1998 192,605 251,052 443,657 594,400 499,737 1,094,137 
			 1999 189,111 242,975 432,086 577,865 483,407 1,061,272 
			 2000 184,698 234,488 419,186 564,226 469,084 1,033,310 
			 2001 185,950 235,085 421,035 571,057 476,142 1,047,199 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 198,011 233,179 431,190 587,495 484,308 1,071,803 
			 2003 207,287 234,016 441,303 606,532 495,569 1,102,101 
			 2004 208,847 229,896 438,743 611,088 494,385 1,105,473 
			 2005 231,572 247,260 478,832 667,416 535,329 1,202,745 
			 2006 235,496 249,907 485,403 667,263 537,803 1,205,066 
			 2007 240,087 252,065 492,152 683,457 548,055 1,231,512 
			  Change in maximum number of applications   
			 2008 212,269 225,825 438,094 608,135 487,357 1,095,492 
			
			  Proportion (Percentage)   
			 1997 43 57 100 54 46 100 
			 1998 43 57 100 54 46 100 
			 1999 44 56 100 54 46 100 
			 2000 44 56 100 55 45 100 
			 2001 44 56 100 55 45 100 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 46 54 100 55 45 100 
			 2003 47 53 100 55 45 100 
			 2004 48 52 100 55 45 100 
			 2005 48 52 100 55 45 100 
			 2006 49 51 100 55 45 100 
			 2007 49 51 100 55 45 100 
			 2008 48 52 100 56 44 100 
		
	
	
		
			  Applications to full-time first degree courses via UCAS from applicants aged 1 9-20 
			   STEM subjects  All subjects 
			   Female  Male  Total  Female  Male  Total 
			  Number   
			 1997 82,947 113,259 196,206 269,444 251,571 521,015 
			 1998 82,568 113,227 195,795 280,956 260,525 541,481 
			 1999 85,841 118,197 204,038 285,449 266,680 552,129 
			 2000 83,289 116,665 199,954 267,239 255,220 522,459 
			 2001 80,974 115,532 196,506 263,833 253,292 517,125 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 81,052 110,857 191,909 258,703 247,489 506,192 
			 2003 84,602 111,508 196,110 271,369 256,044 527,413 
			 2004 91,742j 114,601 206,343 288,370 269,287 557,657 
			 2005 100,333 123,083 223,416 309,161 288,920 598,081 
			 2006 99,383 120,189 219,572 298,240 276,044 574,284 
			 2007 114,491 136,585 251,076 351,204 320,173 671,377 
			  Change in maximum number of applications   
			 2008 103,066 127,449 230,515 323,668 299,086 622,754 
			
			  Proportion (Percentage)   
			 1997 42 58 100 52 48 100 
			 1998 42 58 100 52 48 100 
			 1999 42 58 100 52 48 100 
			 2000 42 58 100 51 49 100 
			 2001 41 59 100 51 49 100 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 42 58 100 51 49 100 
			 2003 43 57 100 51 49 100 
			 2004 44 56 100 j 52 48 100 
			 2005 45 55 100 52 48 100 
			 2006 45 55 100 52 48 100 
			 2007 46 54 100 52 48 100 
			 2008 45 55 100 52 48 100 
		
	
	
		
			  Applications to full-time first degree courses vi a UCAS from applicants aged  21 and over 
			   STEM subjects  All subjects 
			   Female  Male  Total  Female  Male  Total 
			  Number   
			 1997 52,840 74,391 127,231 164,446 164,713 329,159 
			 1998 49,028 66,088 115,116 154,752 149,573 304,325 
			 1999 47,101 59,023 106,124 140,777 132,464 273,241 
			 2000 47,679 58,897 106,576 128,568 120,212 248,780 
			 2001 48,626 62,382 111,008 128,884 127,180 256,064 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 53,375 68,034 121,409 137,169 134,977 272,146 
			 2003 62,412 71,698 134,110 147,196 143,446 290,642 
			 2004 69,806 76,350 146,156 160,453 151,392 311,845 
			 2005 79,366 83,897 163,263 184,848 168,530 353,378 
			 2006 79,885 77,808 157,693 186,528 155,813 342,341 
			 2007 82,744 78,876 161,620 198,601 162,190 360,791 
			  Change in maximum number of applications   
			 2008 79,576 74,446 154,022 187,557 152,867 340,424 
			
			  Proportion (Percentage)   
			 1997 42 58 100 50 50 100 
			 1998 43 57 100 51 49 100 
			 1999 44 56 100 52 48 100 
			 2000 45 55 100 52 48 100 
			 2001 44 56 100 50 50 100 
			  Change in subject coding   
			 2002 44 56 100 50 50 100 
			 2003 47 53 100 51 49 100 
			 2004 48 52 100 51 49 100 
			 2005 49 51 100 52 48 100 
			 2006 51 49 100 54 46 100 
			 2007 51 49 100 55 45 100 
			 2008 52 48 100 55 45 100 
			  Notes on UCAS application data: 1. In the academic years 1997/98 to 2007/08 each applicant could make up to six choices on their application form; in 2008 this was decreased to five. 2. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects are defined as the following subject groups: Medicine and Dentistry, Subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Vet Science, Agriculture and related, Physical Sciences, Mathematical and Comp Science, Engineering, Technologies, Architecture, Building and Planning, Combined Sciences. The tables above use this definition. 3. From 2002 entry, UCAS switched from using the Standard Academic Classification of Subjects (SCAS) to the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS). Data reported for 2008 entry use JACS2, an updated version of JACS. For further information see: http://www.ucas.ac.uk/he_staff/datamanagement/jacs/jacs20 4. From 2005, the former Social Work Admissions System (SWAS) was incorporated into the main UCAS system, therefore a small number of Social Work Postgraduate courses will be included in the data from 2005 onwards.  Source: UCAS.

Higher Education: Admissions

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire were admitted to universities in England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The number of all-aged entrants to higher education institutions in England from the Tamworth constituency and Staffordshire local authority area are shown in the table. Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in January 2010.
	
		
			  Entrants( 1)  from Tamworth parliamentary constituency( 2)  and Staffordshire local authority area( 2) English higher education institutions: Academic years 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   Tamworth  Staffordshire 
			 2003-04 815 10,220 
			 2004-05 750 9,585 
			 2005-06 800 9,760 
			 2006-07 855 9,360 
			 2007-08 825 9,805 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate entrants to full-time and part-time courses. (2) The table does not include entrants where the parliamentary constituency and local authority area of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid home postcodes.  Notes:  1. Figures are on a Standard Registration Population (SRP) basis and are rounded to the nearest five. 2. Figures exclude the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. So urce:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Forensic Science

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on which universities offer  (a) degrees and  (b) other qualifications in forensic science.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the following table. The HESA indicates that there are some 60 higher education institutions that offer forensic science as a principal subject. Information based on the 2008/09 academic year will be available in 2010.
	The Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) website provides a detailed list of forensic science undergraduate courses offered by UK higher education courses for entry in 2009 and 2010 at the following web link:
	http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/coursesearch/
	
		
			  UK higher education institutions providing forensic science as a principal level of study( 1) ,  academic year 2007/08 
			   Level of Study 
			  Institution  Post graduate  Under graduate  Foundation degree  Other( 2) 
			 Anglia Ruskin University X X   
			 Bangor University  X   
			 Bournemouth University X X X  
			 Canterbury Christ Church University X X  X 
			 Cardiff University X X   
			 Coventry University X X   
			 Cranfield University X   X 
			 De Montfort University  X   
			 Glasgow Caledonian University  X   
			 Glyndwr University  X X  
			 Heriot-Watt University X    
			 Kings College London X    
			 Kingston University X X   
			 Leeds Metropolitan University  X   
			 Liverpool John Moores University  X   
			 London Metropolitan University X X   
			 London South Bank University X X   
			 Loughborough University  X   
			 Middlesex University  X   
			 Napier University  X   
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College  X X  
			 Sheffield Hallam University X X   
			 Staffordshire University X X   
			 Thames Valley University  X X  
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University  X   
			 The Nottingham Trent University  X X  
			 The Robert Gordon University  X   
			 University College London X X   
			 University of Bradford  X   
			 University of Central  X X  
			 Lancashire     
			 University of Chester  X   
			 University of Cumbria  X X  
			 University of Derby  X   
			 University of Dundee X X   
			 University of Durham  X  X 
			 University of East London  X   
			 University of Edinburgh X    
			 University of Glamorgan  X X  
			 University of Greenwich  X  X 
			 University of Huddersfield X X  X 
			 University of Hull X X   
			 University of Keele  X   
			 University of Kent  X   
			 University of Leicester X X   
			 University of Lincoln X X   
			 University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne X    
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle X    
			 University of Plymouth  X X  
			 University of Portsmouth  X   
			 University of Sheffield X X   
			 University of Strathclyde X X   
			 University of Surrey  X   
			 University of Sussex  X   
			 University of Teesside X X X  
			 University of the West of England, Bristol  X   
			 University of the West of Scotland  X  X 
			 University of Ulster X    
			 University of Wales, Lampeter  X  X 
			 University of Wolverhampton  X  X 
			 University of Worcester  X   
			 (1) Covers full-time and part-time enrolments to course where forensic science is the principal subject or combined with archaeological science. (2) HND/HE Diplomas, Other sub-degree and further education courses.  Note: X denotes institutions who offer forensic science course as principal standalone subject or combined.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Insolvency: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Hemel Hempstead constituency were declared bankrupt in each of the last five years.

Ian Lucas: Table 1 shows the number of bankruptcies among traders in Hemel Hempstead constituency for each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Year( 1)  Bankruptcies among traders in Hemel Hempstead constituency( 2,3) 
			 2004 24 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 16 
			 2007 19 
			 2008 25 
			 1 The Insolvency Trade Classification (ITC) was used to classify trading-related bankruptcies (and company liquidations) until end September 2006. From October 2006 the Standard Industry Classification 2003 has been in use and there have been associated changes to the method used to identify traders amongst bankrupts. The period covered should not, therefore, be treated as a consistent time series. 2 Classifying bankrupts into electoral geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a constituency is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided. 3 In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the above table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to about 3 per cent. in 2008.  Note: Company liquidation statistics are not currently available on a regional basis within England and Wales.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2009,  Official Report, column 98W, on motor vehicles: manufacturing industries, whether he plans to assess the effect of the vehicle scrappage scheme on the second-hand car market.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 3 July 2009
	I have no plans to carry out a separate assessment. The effect of the vehicle scrappage scheme will be considered as it effects the car industry as a whole.

Oil: Prices

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to mitigate the negative effects of rises in oil prices on business.

David Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
	DECCs objective is to ensure Britains energy is secure, affordable and efficient. Within these objectives DECC is working towards reducing the risk of high oil prices and ensuring fair retail fuel prices for consumers and businesses.
	We recognise the negative effects that oil price volatility has on oil investment, businesses and the economy as a whole. Thus DECC continues to support initiatives for investment needed to provide sufficient oil supplies as the economy recovers. We also support moves to further strengthen transparency and efficiency in the international oil market and seek commitment for this with our international partners and through initiatives like the London Energy Meeting.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for business policy.

Overseas Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage trade between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Ian Lucas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) supports business with Saudi Arabia through trade and investment teams based in Saudi Arabia and the UK. In addition to a 20-strong team in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, UKTI also employs a business specialist focused specifically on identifying supply chain opportunities in Saudi Arabia arising from the Saudi Governments Fiscal Stimulus packages.
	UKTI funds and provides secretariat support for the Saudi-British Joint Business Council. The Council identifies new business opportunities and also focuses on ways to tackle barriers to trade and improve the environment for business.
	UKTI provides a broad range of support for British companies wishing to do business in Saudi Arabiafrom conferences and trade missions to support for trade fairs and exhibitions. Over recent months, events aimed at promoting business with Saudi Arabia (and the wider Gulf region) have been held in Bristol, the north east, Yorkshire, London and Northern Ireland.
	UKTI organised a visit to the UK by the Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), HE Amr al Dabbagh, in June 2009. In addition to a business showcase in Buckingham Palace on 17 June, hosted by HRH the Duke of York, UKTI also staged a Two Kingdoms Trade and Investment Conference on 18 June, which focused on opportunities in health care, education, transport, energy and financial services, and in which 150 British companies participated.
	A Double Taxation Agreement with Saudi Arabia came into force in December 2008 and a bilateral Investment Promotion  Protection Agreement (IPPA) is currently under negotiation and likely to be signed later this year.

Vocational Training

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from  (a) training providers and  (b) further education colleges on (i) Train to Gain and (ii) apprenticeship places in 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: Since 1 April there have been 185 letters received on a whole range of topics regarding Train to Gain and apprenticeships. It is not possible to identify precisely how many of these letters would have raised the issue of places available in 2009-10, as this could be one of a number of points raised in such a letter. Of the letters received six were directly from further education colleges, five from training providers and a further 60 from MPs.
	Ministers are also involved in regular discussions with the Association of Colleges and the Association of Learning Providers as well as visits with individual colleges and training providers where they discuss a wide range of issues including the current position of the Train to Gain and Apprenticeship programmes.

Vocational Training: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the Learning and Skills Council funding allocation for 2009-10 to providers of Train to Gain and apprenticeship training he expects to be spent on learners who started their courses in 2008-09.

Kevin Brennan: The success of Train to Gain means that we expect that over the two years 2008-09 and 2009-10 to deliver 100,000 more starts and learners than we had previously planned.
	The contract values that have now been issued to providers for the 2009-10 academic year ensure that we will remain within the overall budget. These contract values cover the costs of both continuing learners as well as new starts. The precise funding required for continuing learners will depend on actual performance in 2008-09 and will need to be managed within the overall budgets available.

Vocational Training: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Learning and Skills Council  (a) has distributed to training providers for 2008-09 and  (b) expects to distribute to training providers in 2009-10 for (i) Train to Gain learners, (ii) apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years, (iii) apprentices aged between 19 and 24 years, (iv) adult apprentices and (v) other training programmes.

Kevin Brennan: The budget available for Train to Gain through the Learning and Skills Council in the 2008-09 financial year is £797 million and £925 million for the 2009-10 financial year. The actual amount of funding that is paid to training providers will depend on performance during the year, and the actual amount of training delivered.
	In 2008-09 financial year the budget available for 16 to 18-year-old Apprenticeships is £628 million, £266 million for 19 to 24-year-old Apprenticeships and £67 million for Apprenticeships for those over 25. In 2009-10 there is £708 million available for 16 to 18-year-old Apprenticeships, £273 million for 19 to 24-year-old Apprenticeships and £117 million for Apprenticeships for those over 25. As for Train to Gain the actual amount of funding that is paid to training providers will depend on their performance during the year and the actual amount of training delivered.
	The LSC will report the actual spend on both Train to Gain and Apprenticeships during the 2008-09 financial year as part of their annual report, due to be published shortly.

TREASURY

Bank Services: EU Countries

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of UK citizens who have deposits with banks in  (a) the Republic of Ireland and  (b) other EU member states.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As a matter of course, HM Treasury does not comment on individual financial institutions.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what compliance referencing of council tax lists is undertaken by  (a) the Valuation Office Agency and  (b) billing authorities.

Stephen Timms: No compliance referencing is carried out in relation to council tax lists by the Valuation Office Agency.
	No information is held centrally for billing authorities and therefore it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment the Valuation Office Agency has made of the outcome of integrity checks of council tax lists in  (a) England and  (b) Wales.

Stephen Timms: The VOA will shortly report in its annual report for 2008-09 an achievement of 94 per cent. compliance with valuation integrity standards in its work on council tax and non-domestic rating lists in England and Wales against a target of 93 per cent. The agency uses this information in its drive for continuous improvement.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use has been made of the Valuation Office Agencys council tax banding support tool in relation to properties in respect of which no formal appeal has been lodged.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agencys council tax banding support tool has been used to assist staff when reviewing existing council tax bands, whether or not there has been a formal proposal to alter the council tax valuation list, and when placing bands on new or altered dwellings.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate had been made of the gross cost to the Exchequer of the planned 2005 council tax revaluation prior to its postponement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 October 2005,  Official Report, column 327W.

Council Tax: Wales

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the gross cost to the public purse of the 2005 council tax revaluation in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have been asked to respond.
	Figures supplied by the Valuation Office Agency indicate that the total costs of delivering the revaluation in Wales, up to 31 March 2005, were £5.198 million.

Departmental Older Workers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff over the age of  (a) 55 and  (b) 65 years his Department employs.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Statistics for staff employed by all civil service departments are compiled and published by the Office for National Statistics from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey and are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899Pos=ColRank=1Rank=422

Finance: Housing

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reduction in spending he is making to accommodate the £1,500 million increase in housing expenditure announced in the Prime Minister's Statement on Building Britain's Future on 29 June 2009.

Liam Byrne: There is no additional borrowing as a result of the affordable housing announcement in Building Britain's Future.
	In 2009-10 and 2010-11 the additional resources for housing will all come from within existing budgets. This has been achieved by reprioritisation within the Department for Communities and Local Government's budget and the reallocation of anticipated underspends from the Home Office, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health and the Department for Children Schools and Families.

Finance: Non-Profit Making Associations

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to credit by the social enterprise sector.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are taking action to ensure competitively priced credit continues to be available. On 19 January 2009, the Government announced a package of measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These measures build on those announced on 8 October last year.
	As a condition of accessing the Asset Protection Scheme, the Government have agreed legally binding lending commitments with Lloyds and RBS. These commitments will see Lloyds lend an additional £14 billion, and RBS an additional £25 billion, on commercial terms (and subject to market demand), over the 12 months from March 2009. The Government will report annually to Parliament on the delivery of these commitments.
	The Government also announced in the Budget that, to support the long-term growth of a thriving third sector, it would consult on the design and functions of a Social Investment Wholesale Bank.

Financial Institutions: Consultants

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was paid to external advisers by  (a) Northern Rock,  (b) RBS,  (c) other financial sector firms in which the Government own a shareholding and  (d) other financial sector firms in which the Government have been involved in recent restructuring for goods and services delivered to (i) his Department and (ii) the Bank of England during (A) 2008 and (B) 2009 to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury's external adviser fees will be shared between the banks participating in the Government's financial intervention schemes. Professional advisory fees incurred by the Treasury for the Northern Rock are shown in the Treasury's resource accounts 2007-08, which is available at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/annualreportandaccounts200708050808.pdf
	Figures for the Treasury's spending in 2008-09 will be available in the department's resource accounts 2008-09 after the conclusion of the Comptroller and Auditor General's audit. Reporting the cost which the Bank of England incurs is a matter for the Bank.
	UK Financial Investments (UKFI) has been set up to manage the Government's investments in financial institutions as an active and engaged shareholder, operating on a commercial basis and at arm's length from Government. The framework document between HM Treasury and UKFI sets a requirement that UKFI will not intervene in the day-to-day management decisions of investee companies, with the companies retaining their own independent boards, which will manage the banks and determine their strategy.
	It is a matter for the banks' management to release specific business information and updates or provide any required disclosures in their audited annual report and accounts.

Fuels

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local authorities have been fined by HM Revenue and Customs since January 2008 for using red diesel in local authority tractors and agricultural vehicles.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Where HMRC deals with irregularities other than by prosecution, such as by assessment of duty, it is not its practice to publish the details of individual cases. The total duty assessed in cases of misuse of red diesel, and the number of cases where misuse has been detected, are published in HMRC Autumn Performance Reports at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm

Home Information Packs: VAT

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on which elements of home information packs valued added tax is levied;
	(2)  what his most recent estimate is of the revenue which has accrued to the Exchequer from value added tax on home information packs.

Stephen Timms: The normal VAT liability rules apply when the constituent parts of a home information pack (HIP) are purchased from a VAT registered business. VAT will usually be chargeable, although Land Registry search fees are normally VAT free.
	VAT will also be due on any fee charged by a VAT registered agent in connection with the compilation of a HIP.
	Her Majestys Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT raised from individual goods and services.

Housing: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 682W, on housing: valuation, in which locality in the valuation area of Westminster the dwelling with billing authority reference T2902011000007 is located.

Stephen Timms: As at 1 July 2009, the Valuation Office Agency has this dwelling in Locality 37 of Westminster Billing Authority. The Billing Authorities of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea comprise a single valuation area.

Local Taxation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the Valuation Office Agencys performance target on value for money from local taxation, what methodology is used to calculate yield from local taxation;
	(2)  what targets have been set for the Valuation Office Agency on value for money in relation to  (a) local taxation and  (b) inheritance tax; when those targets were set; and how performance against those targets is measured.

Stephen Timms: I announced the key performance indicators and targets for the Valuation Office Agency for 2009-10 to the House by written ministerial statement on 10 June 2009. They include:
	To improve overall value for money on local taxation work by 3 per cent.
	To improve value for money on inheritance tax work for HMRC by 5 per cent.
	Value for money for local taxation work is calculated as a weighted index of measures covering timeliness, quality and volume of work divided by total cost.
	That for inheritance tax work is measured by comparing the Agencys costs with the estimated tax achieved. In managing its performance against this indicator, the Agency targets resources to those cases requiring adjustment to ensure that the correct amount of tax due is paid.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2009,  Official Report, column 796W, on Members: correspondence, when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 2 February 2009 on his constituent Dr Paul Carslake; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 8 June 2009
	A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 23 April 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr K Williams.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A reply has been sent to the right hon. Member.

Money Laundering

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of anti-money laundering legislation in preventing people with connections with corrupt regimes having accounts with regulated banks;
	(2)  what recent discussions his Department has had with the Financial Services Authority on politically-exposed persons and bank accounts operated by regulated institutions.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The UK has a robust anti-money laundering regime. When last evaluated by the Financial Action Task Force, the international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standard-setting body, the UK achieved one of the highest overall compliance ratings of any country.
	Since then we have continued to improve the effectiveness of the UK's regime; in particular, through the introduction in December 2007 of new money laundering regulations. These regulations require banks, and other regulated businesses, to undertake comprehensive customer due diligence checks, including identifying any beneficial owners involved. Enhanced due diligence procedures are required in higher-risk situations, including where the client is a politically exposed person.
	HM Treasury has regular discussions on the effectiveness of the money laundering regulations with business stakeholders and public partners, such as the FSA, and in the specific case of politically exposed persons (PEP's), also with the Department for International Development. Discussions on PEPs are held both bilaterally and in several fora, including the Money Laundering Advisory Committee, that bring together cross-sector and cross-Whitehall participants.

Non-domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methodology the Valuation Office Agency uses to calculate the rateable value of supermarket car parking spaces for the 2010 rates revaluation.

Stephen Timms: Supermarket car parking spaces will usually be assessed and valued as part of a supermarket rather than separately, having regard to the level of rents paid on it and other supermarkets. For the 2010 rates revaluation, the level of rent as at 1 April 2008 will be adopted.

Non-Domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency holds records of the location of each mobile telephone mast for the purposes of the 2010 rates revaluation; and what data mobile telephone operators are required to provide to the Agency.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office holds records of the location of every mobile phone mast it has identified and assessed to non-domestic rates in England and Wales in respect of the current 2005 rating lists. The 2010 Revaluation will be based on the current assessments identified on the 2005 rating list and any new assessments raised before 1 April 2010.
	Once a valuation officer has identified the location and address of a mobile phone mast it can send a statutory request under paragraph 5 of schedule 9 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988, as amended, requesting specified information from the operator in order to raise a non-domestic rating assessment. The data requested include tenure and site sharing information.

Non-Domestic Rates: Bingo

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance has been issued to bingo operators on whether the prohibition of smoking in public places represents a material change of circumstance for the purposes of the calculation of business rates levied on bingo halls.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) held discussions with the professional advisers to the bingo industry prior to the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places in April 2007 (in Wales) and July 2007 (in England).
	Once the ban had been agreed as a material change of circumstance, the VOA notified the Bingo Association in writing on 27 November 2008 that the rating assessments for all the bingo halls in England and Wales would be reviewed following the introduction of the ban.

Private Finance Initiative: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of schemes under the private finance initiative in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Dacorum and  (c) Hertfordshire.

Ian Pearson: All local authority PFI projects seeking PFI credits are subject to an assessment by the Projects Review Group (PRG), which is chaired by HM Treasury.
	Minutes of the PRG meetings held in 2008 and 2009 can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_projectreview_group.htm
	A list of all signed PFI projects can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm

Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the evidence given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the House of Lords Committee on the Barnett Formula on 17 June 2009, if he will place in the Library a copy of the study of the relative expenditure needs of the four countries of the United Kingdom carried out in 1984.

Liam Byrne: Today, I have placed a copy of the 1984 update to the Needs Assessment Study in the Library of the House.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the expenditure proposals contained in Annex A of the Building Britain's Future document will have a Barnett consequential for Wales.

Liam Byrne: The funding announced in Building Britain's Future is based on existing provision, including reprioritisation, and therefore does not attract Barnett consequentials.

Quantitative Easing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the scale of quantitative easing undertaken by the  (a) US Federal Reserve and  (b) European Central Bank.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Monetary policy in the euro-area and United States are matters for the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve respectively. It is not for the Government to comment on their specific policy decisions.

Revenue and Customs: Training

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days training has been given on average to a front line customs officer on the introduction of the points-based immigration system.

Phil Woolas: On average frontline Border Force Officers complete at least three quarters of a day dedicated to training on the points based system.

Social Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use the Valuation Office Agency  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make of data on social housing gathered by the National Register of Social Housing.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency has used postcode level information from the National Register of Social Housing (NRoSH) database, in conjunction with its own data, to help identify social housing. The VOA has no current plans to use NRoSH data.

Valuation Office: Freedom of Information

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, column 772W, on the Valuation Office: freedom of information, and the subsequent deposited paper DEP2009-1797, if he will publish for each of the listed  (a) freedom of information and  (b) environmental information regulation requests details of the information requested.

Stephen Timms: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Valuation Office: Marketing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Valuation Office Agency has to replace its world class branding.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agencys ambition, set out in its Forward Plan for 2009-12, published on its website at
	www.voa.gov.uk
	is to be recognised both nationally and internationally for its expertise, achievement and innovation in the valuation services it provides. As the recent Framework Review recognised (report published on the HMRC website) at
	www.hmrc.gov.uk
	the VOA has been successfully striving to improve its customer service, consistent with HM Governments ambition to provide world class public services. The recommendation in the Framework Review report regarding the use of the term world class relates to ensuring that all staff in the Agency and its stakeholders properly understand its aims. This and other recommendations made by the Framework Review are currently being considered.

Valuation: Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors are taken into account by the Valuation Office Agency when deciding whether to allocate a dwelling an SC value significant code.

Stephen Timms: The value significant code SC may be used to indicate that a property was in poor state of repair when soldto the extent that this affected the value of the property at the date of sale. The Valuation Office Agency does not provide specific guidance to its staff on when to use the codeit is a matter of local knowledge and judgment. General guidance on the use of all its dwelling-house codes is published on the VOAs website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk/publications/dwellinghousecodingguide/files/contents.htm

Water: Meters

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 7.7 of the Minutes of the 49th Meeting of the Steering Committee on Harmonisation (Practice and Procedure) between England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland of 6-7 May 2009, which EU directive is expected to require all properties to have water meters.

Stephen Timms: Paragraph 7.7 is a record of what was stated by the Republic of Ireland representative. No EU directive is expected to require UK properties to have water meters.

Zero Carbon Stamp Duty Exemption

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many homes had qualified for the zero carbon stamp duty exemption on the latest date for which figures are available.

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many domestic dwellings have qualified for the zero carbon stamp duty exemption.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have set a deliberately stretching target that all new homes must be zero carbon by 2016. The stamp duty land tax relief (SDLT) for zero carbon homes was introduced to help kick-start the market for new highly efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building and in the use of micro-generation, and sets a gold standard for green homes. Few currently exist, but the purpose of the relief is to act as signal. We have always made it clear that the SDLT relief for zero carbon homes would evolve and we expect to see more of these homes built in the future. 21 homes have qualified for the zero carbon homes relief since October 2007.